Parenting, personality, and culture as predictors of perfectionism

A multi-country examination of the relationship between perfectionism and disordered eating: the indirect effect of obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Despite the extensive literature on the association between perfectionism and disordered eating (DE), only scant attention has been given to the underlying processes that may mediate this relationship. The present study aimed to contribute to existing literature by investigating the direct and indirect relations between perfectionism and DE through obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and obsessive beliefs, among community adults from three different countries and cultural backgrounds (i.e. Poland, Italy and Lebanon).

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study that was carried-out among 977 community adults (77.1% females, mean age: 21.94 ± 3.14 years) using the snowball sampling technique.

RESULTS

Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) symptoms and obsessive beliefs had a partial indirect effect in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and disordered eating. Higher multidimensional perfectionism/obsessive beliefs were significantly associated with greater OCD symptoms and directly associated with higher DE scores. Finally, higher OCD symptoms were significantly linked to higher DE scores.

CONCLUSION

The preliminary results suggest that it would be helpful for clinicians to routinely include measures of perfectionism, OCD and obsessive beliefs when dealing with individuals who present DE problems. In addition, results hold promise for the combined use of perfectionism and OCD interventions as a potentially beneficial treatment option for DE concerns.

Impact of Self-Efficacy and Perfectionism on Academic Procrastination among University Students in Pakistan

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and perfectionism on academic procrastination among university students and its differences among genders in Pakistan. It was hypothesized that self-efficacy and perfectionism would significantly impact academic procrastination and that there is a significant difference in students' views concerning their gender. The sample comprised 405 university students, 104 male and 301 female. The study used the general self-efficacy scale, the multidimensional perfectionism scale, and the academic procrastination scale to measure the constructs. SmartPLS 4 was applied for the analysis of the data. The results indicated that all three variables-self-efficacy, perfectionism, and academic procrastination-were present among university students. Perfectionism showed a significant effect on academic procrastination. However, self-efficacy showed no significant effect on academic procrastination. Further, no significant difference was found in students' views concerning their gender. The findings provide significant evidence for stakeholders to improve academic procrastination among university students.

Child maltreatment and protection in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Research on child maltreatment and protection in the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council countries-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-is limited but growing, as is child protection as a sector.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to identify themes and gaps in existing research on child maltreatment and protection, identify opportunities for building capacity in research and practice.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

N/A.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals in English and Arabic and reported methods and findings according to the PRISMA-ScR reporting protocol. Articles were coded by country, topic of research, and type of abuse studied, if any.

RESULTS

Our database search returned 6109 articles and 160 articles were included in our review. Themes included (1) prevalence, incidence, and characteristics of maltreatment, (2) outcomes associated with maltreatment, (3) attitudes, awareness, and reporting, (4) accidental injury and death potentially associated with neglect, (5) policy and practice. Eighty-seven articles studied Saudi Arabia, while 28 studied the UAE, 21 Kuwait, 13 Qatar, 12 Oman, and 11 Bahrain. Physical abuse was studied in 77 articles, followed by sexual abuse in 54 articles and emotional abuse in 54.

CONCLUSION

Although the medical community produces an encouraging volume of child maltreatment research, gaps remain. Intervention research is lacking, and further inquiry into family dynamics, culture, and spirituality could inform the development of effective interventions. Cross-sectoral collaboration among education, social work, law enforcement, and healthcare is also needed to safeguard children's rights in the GCC.

The association between maternal perinatal mental health and perfectionism: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Perfectionism is an important feature of adult psychopathology. In the absence of a prior review of the role of perfectionism in perinatal psychopathology, we aimed to ascertain whether perfectionism was associated with symptoms of maternal perinatal depression and anxiety.

METHOD

We followed PRISMA guidance (PROSPERO: 42019143369), estimated weighted effect sizes and tested possible moderators: timing (pre or post- natal), scales used to measure constructs, infant gender, temperament and age; and rated study quality.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies met eligibility criteria. Perfectionism as a whole, and the perfectionistic concerns dimension, were moderately correlated with common maternal perinatal mental health difficulties r = .32 (95% Confidence Interval = 0.23 to 0.42). In sub-group analyses, perfectionistic concerns were associated with depression (r = .35, 95% CI = 0.26-0.43). We found no evidence of significant moderation of associations.

LIMITATIONS

Included studies had methodological and conceptual limitations. All studies examined depression and two examined anxieties; all examined perfectionistic concerns and four examined perfectionist strivings.

CONCLUSIONS

Perfectionism, namely perfectionistic concerns, is potentially associated with common maternal perinatal mental health problems. While further research is warranted, identification of perfectionism in the perinatal period may help focus resources for intervention, reducing the prevalence of perinatal mental health difficulties.

Perfectionism, Big Five and biopsychosocial functioning among parents of children with and without acquired brain injury (ABI)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Personality factors are often investigated in the context of parenting but are rarely studied in relation to coping with child disabilities like pediatric acquired brain injury (pABI). This study (1) compares Biopsychosocial functioning (BPSF), Big Five personality traits, and dimensions of perfectionism of parents of children with and without pABI, and (2) examines the role personality factors play in parental BPSF in each group.

METHOD

57 parents of children who sustained a significant pABI and 50 parents of typically developing children participated in this cross-sectional study. Parents completed scales measuring Multidimensional Perfectionism, Big Five inventory, and BPSF.

RESULTS

Among the pABI group, multivariate analysis indicated significantly poorer BPSF, higher levels of neuroticism, socially prescribed perfectionism, and lower levels of openness, than controls. Regression analysis showed that personality explained 60.5% of the variance in parental BPSF post pABI. In both samples, neuroticism and socially prescribed perfectionism appeared as two prominent personality factors with a significant negative effect on parental BPSF, while self-perfectionism appeared prominent only in the pABI group, indicating a significant positive effect.

IMPLICATIONS

pABI may result in changes to parents` personality. Personality characteristics significantly contribute to parental BPSF post-injury and should be addressed in clinical practice.

The Influence of Parental Perfectionism and Parenting Styles on Child Perfectionism

Perfectionism is a significant transdiagnostic process related to the development and maintenance of several psychological disorders. The main models of the development of perfectionism focus on early childhood experiences and postulate that parental relation is an important factor for understanding this construct in children. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between child and parental perfectionism, seeking to evaluate the empirical support of the Social Learning Model and the Social Expectations Model and children’s perception of parenting styles. The present study included 119 children (51.2% girls, M_age = 11.67 years) and their parents. Data were collected through administration of several self-report measures. The results show a relationship between the majority of the same parent and child perfectionism dimensions, thus providing supportive evidence for the Social Learning Model. Concerning the analysis of the role of gender in the transmission of perfectionism, observed fathers’ perfectionism only relates with the sons’ perfectionism, and mothers’ perfectionism relates with daughters’ perfectionism. Our findings allow for a deeper understanding of the role of the perception of an authoritarian parenting style in the development of maladaptive perfectionism. Mother and fathers’ perceived parenting styles contribute more to daughter than son perfectionism. The results contribute to expanding the understanding of the role of parental factors in the development of perfectionism.

Review of Perfectionism Research From 1990 to 2019 Utilizing a Text-Mining Approach

Perfectionism is a personality characteristic that has been explored for its implications in mental health; reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to synthesize research findings. This study systemically synthesizes the perfectionism literature using a text-mining approach. Co-word analysis and Dirichlet Multinomial Regression topic modeling were performed on a total of 1,529 perfectionism abstracts published from 1990 to 2019. Analysis revealed that perfectionism research is closely connected with “disorder,” with “symptom” being the most frequently addressed issue. Topic-modeling results found a total of 15 topics represented perfectionism research of the past three decades. Most articles were published in psychology journals, with social and clinical psychology subdisciplines publishing perfectionism articles most frequently. There were overlaps in research topics by journal subdisciplines, while differences were also observed. This study provides a panoramic view of perfectionism literature and highlights frequently and infrequently explored areas that could be considered in future research endeavors.

Two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism in Iranian general and clinical samples

BACKGROUND

Studies in Western cultures have shown that perfectionism is conceptualized by two-factor higher-order model including perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. However, little is known about the construct of perfectionism in Eastern societies. Thus, we examined the two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism in Iranian general and clinical samples.

METHODS

We recruited a general population sample (n = 384) and patients with major depressive disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and eating disorders (n = 152) from Tehran, Iran from September 2016 to December 2017. They completed the Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire, Perfectionism Inventory, and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21.

RESULTS

The two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism showed adequate fit with data for females from the general population and clinical sample. Data for males were only available from the general population, and the model showed adequate fit with the data first after removing the Rumination scale of the perfectionistic concerns. The perfectionistic strivings dimension showed no or negative association with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, but perfectionistic concerns dimension showed positive correlation with these indices in all samples for both males and females.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the two-factor higher-order model of perfectionism in samples of Iranian females from the general population and clinical sample. However, the results were different for males from the general population. In other words, the modified two-factor higher-order model showed acceptable fit with the data for males from the general population only after removing the Rumination scale from perfectionistic concerns. These differences among males and females were discussed.

Is intelligence related to perfectionism? Multidimensional perfectionism and parental antecedents among adolescents across varying levels of cognitive ability

OBJECTIVE

Although intellectually gifted individuals are often portrayed as perfectionists, evidence for an association between cognitive ability and perfectionism is inconclusive. This study investigates the relations between cognitive ability and two distinct dimensions of perfectionism and addresses the role of parental antecedents of perfectionism in adolescents at different levels of cognitive ability.

METHOD

In a community sample of 3,168 adolescents and their parents, cognitive ability was assessed and perfectionism levels and parenting practices were surveyed.

RESULTS

Adolescents higher in cognitive ability reported higher levels of Personal Standards (i.e., setting ambitious objectives) but lower levels of Concern over Mistakes (i.e., worrying excessively about mistakes). Parental criticism, high parental expectations, and conditionally regarding parenting were associated positively with Concern over Mistakes, and high parental expectations were related positively to Personal Standards. These associations were generally independent of adolescents' cognitive ability. Parents of adolescents higher in cognitive ability relied less on parenting practices associated with the development of perfectionism.

CONCLUSION

Cognitive ability is related to a higher pursuit of personal standards, yet does not constitute a risk factor for excessive concerns about mistakes. Parental antecedents were related similarly and in theoretically meaningful ways to adolescent perfectionism across different levels of cognitive ability.