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Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism

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Abstract

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality characteristic that can affect all areas of life. This article presents the first systematic investigation of multidimensional perfectionism in the domain of sexuality exploring the unique relationships that different forms of sexual perfectionism show with positive and negative aspects of sexuality. A sample of 272 university students (52 male, 220 female) completed measures of four forms of sexual perfectionism: self-oriented, partner-oriented, partner-prescribed, and socially prescribed. In addition, they completed measures of sexual esteem, sexual self-efficacy, sexual optimism, sex life satisfaction (capturing positive aspects of sexuality) and sexual problem self-blame, sexual anxiety, sexual depression, and negative sexual perfectionism cognitions during sex (capturing negative aspects). Results showed unique patterns of relationships for the four forms of sexual perfectionism, suggesting that partner-prescribed and socially prescribed sexual perfectionism are maladaptive forms of sexual perfectionism associated with negative aspects of sexuality whereas self-oriented and partner-oriented sexual perfectionism emerged as ambivalent forms associated with positive and negative aspects.

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Notes

  1. Note that, in Snell’s model, partner-oriented sexual perfectionism is called “partner-directed sexual perfectionism,” and partner-prescribed sexual perfectionism is called “self-directed sexual perfectionism from one’s partner.” Moreover, Snell’s model included a fifth form of sexual perfectionism—called “partner’s self-oriented sexual perfectionism”—capturing people’s beliefs about their partner’s self-oriented sexual perfectionism (e.g., “My partner sets very high, perfectionistic goals for herself [himself] as a sexual partner”). However, this form has no correspondence in previous theory and research on multidimensional and dyadic perfectionism. More importantly, it is doubtful that people’s beliefs about others’ self-oriented perfectionism should be regarded as a form of perfectionism. Hence partner’s self-oriented sexual perfectionism was disregarded in the present research.

  2. The way we set up the online questionnaire in Qualtrics® required participants to respond to all items before they could move to the next page. Consequently, there were no missing data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NP, UK

    Joachim Stoeber, Laura N. Harvey, Isabel Almeida & Emma Lyons

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  1. Joachim Stoeber
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  2. Laura N. Harvey
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  3. Isabel Almeida
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  4. Emma Lyons
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Correspondence to Joachim Stoeber.

Appendix

Appendix

Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism Questionnaire (Snell, 1997): Scales and Items

Self-Oriented Sexual Perfectionism

  • I have very high perfectionistic goals for myself as a sexual partner.

  • I set very high standards for myself as a sexual partner.

  • I must always be successful as a sexual partner.

  • One of my goals is to be a “perfect” sexual partner.

  • I always feel the need to be a “perfect” sexual partner.

  • I always pressure myself to be the best sexual partner in the world.

Partner-Oriented Sexual Perfectionism

  • I expect my sexual partner to try to be perfectionistic when it comes to sex.

  • I expect my partner to always be a top-notch and competent sexual partner.

  • My partner should never let me down when it comes to my sexual needs.

  • I cannot stand for my partner to be less than a satisfying sexual partner.

  • I expect nothing less than perfectionism from my sexual partner.

  • I will appreciate my partner only if she/he is a perfect sexual lover.

Partner-Prescribed Sexual Perfectionism

  • My partner demands nothing less than perfection of me as a sexual partner.

  • My partner expects me to be a perfect sexual partner.

  • My partner always wants me to sexually please him/her.

  • My partner pressures me to be a perfect sexual partner.

  • My sexual partner has very high perfectionistic goals for me as a sexual partner.

  • In order for my partner to appreciate me, I have to be a perfect sexual lover.

Socially Prescribed Sexual Perfectionism

  • Most people in society expect me to always be a perfect sexual partner.

  • If I am “perfect” as a sexual partner, then society will consider me to be a good partner.

  • Most people expect me to always be an excellent sexual partner.

  • I have to be a perfect sexual partner in order for most people to regard me as okay.

  • In order for people to accept me, I have to be the greatest sex partner in the world.

  • Most people expect me to be perfectionistic when it comes to sex.

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Stoeber, J., Harvey, L.N., Almeida, I. et al. Multidimensional Sexual Perfectionism. Arch Sex Behav 42, 1593–1604 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-013-0135-8

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