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Perfectionism and components of state and trait anxiety

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Abstract

The association between dimensions of perfectionism and state and trait anxiety was examined in three studies. Study 1 and Study 2 were correlational studies that investigated the link between dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism) and the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS). Taken together, the results indicated that self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionsim are correlated significantly with both the cognitive-worry and autonomic-arousal components of state anxiety. As for the trait anxiety measures, self-oriented perfectionism was associated with the ambiguous and social evaluation facets in Study 1, and socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with the ambiguous and daily routines facets in Study 2. The purpose of Study 3 was to examine perfectionism and state anxiety under conditions of high versus low ego involvement. It was found that socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with higher state anxiety, but only in the high ego involvement condition. Self-oriented perfectionism was unrelated to state anxiety in either experimental condition. Overall, the findings indicate that socially prescribed perfectionism is the dimension linked most closely with components of state and trait anxiety, especially under conditions of ego threat. The results are discussed in terms of the need for an interactional approach to the study of the social aspects of both perfectionism and anxiety.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, M3J 1P3, North York, Ontario, Canada

    Gordon L. Flett, Norman S. Endler & Chiara Tassone

  2. University of British Columbia, Canada

    Paul L. Hewitt

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  1. Gordon L. Flett
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  2. Norman S. Endler
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  3. Chiara Tassone
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  4. Paul L. Hewitt
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Flett, G.L., Endler, N.S., Tassone, C. et al. Perfectionism and components of state and trait anxiety. Current Psychology 13, 326–350 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02686891

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