Mediators between perfectionism and eating disorder psychopathology in a community sample

doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.07.002

Eating Behaviors

Volume 13, Issue 4, December 2012, Pages 361-365

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.07.002 Get rights and content

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of shape and weight overvaluation and conditional goal-setting on the relationship between perfectionism and eating pathology among women in the general community. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that the full mediation model previously established with a clinical sample (Watson et al., 2011), generalized to the present community sample (n = 202). The indirect effect of self-oriented perfectionism on eating disorder pathology was .25 (p < .001) via shape and weight overvaluation, and .10 (p < .01) via conditional goal-setting, supporting the hypothesis that self-oriented perfectionism increased eating disorder psychopathology via each mechanism. Shape and weight overvaluation was the stronger mediator. The findings provide evidence to support existing cognitive-behavioral formulations of eating pathology and clinical perfectionism, and have implications for the prevention of eating pathology.

Highlights

► Mediators between perfectionism and eating disorders were investigated. ► Conditional goal setting and shape weight overvaluation were significant mediators. ► Prevention programs may consider targeting perfectionism.

Introduction

Perfectionism, defined as the setting of excessively high standards for performance accompanied by overly critical self-evaluation (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990), has a robust link to eating pathology (Bardone-Cone et al., 2007, Egan et al., 2011). Despite intermediary mechanisms potentially serving as conduits between perfectionism and eating pathology, few studies have examined mediation models in clinical or community populations (Bardone-Cone et al., 2007).

Watson, Raykos, Street, Fursland, and Nathan (2011) investigated the mediators of shape and weight overvaluation and conditional goal-setting among women with eating disorders (n = 201). Shape and weight overvaluation occurs when the individual evaluates self-worth largely or almost entirely on body shape and weight, to the exclusion of other domains (e.g., work, hobbies, study, friendships) and is related to but distinct from perfectionism (Wade and Bulik, 2007, Watson et al., 2011). Cognitive behavioral theories (Fairburn et al., 2003, Garner and Bemis, 1985, Slade, 1982) propose that perfectionism is a proximal risk or etiological factor for the development of shape and weight overvaluation. Conditional goal-setting is a cognitive style informed by broader social cognitive theories and described within conditional goal-setting theory (Street, 2002). Traditional goal theories propose that individuals arrange personal goals in hierarchies; from concrete, proximal goals at the lower level, to abstract, distal goals – most commonly personal happiness – at the pinnacle. Conditional goal-setting is the belief that a higher order goal is only attainable upon reaching connected lower order goals (“I will only be happy when I get the promotion I want”, “I will only be happy when I get pregnant”). Watson et al. (2011) found that women with eating disorders who exhibited higher conditional goal-setting related to shape and weight (e.g., “I will only be happy if I weigh _ _ pounds”) had more severe eating pathology. Further, shape and weight overvaluation and conditional goal-setting for shape and weight were found to mediate the relation between self-oriented perfectionism and eating pathology.

Based on Watson et al. (2011) findings, we hypothesize that shape and weight overvaluation and conditional goal-setting will mediate the relation between perfectionism and eating pathology in a community sample of adult women.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants were a community sample of 202 women recruited through snowball sampling. Snowball sampling is a process whereby an initial set of participants begin the recruitment process, serving as informants about the research to other potential participants. An attempt was made to recruit a diverse set of initial informants, i.e. young adult women, through university notices, email networks, and social networking sites. Inclusion criteria were female, 18 + years, and English-speaking.

Participant characteristics

Participants had a mean age of 30 (SD = 11) years, 52% were married or defacto, and 89% were employed. The highest education level completed was tertiary (74%), technical/trade certificate (7%), higher school certificate (Yr 12) (17%), or leaving certificate (Yr 10) (2%). English was the first language of 97% of respondents, and region of birth was Australia (79%), United Kingdom (7%), Asia (4%), Africa (3%), North America (2%), New Zealand (2%), Europe (2%), and South America (< 1%).

The mean

Discussion

As hypothesized, shape and weight overvaluation and conditional goal-setting mediated the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and eating pathology among women in the general community, replicating the model previously established among treatment-seeking women with clinical eating disorders (Watson et al., 2011).

Perfectionism, broadly, is implicated in the development and maintenance of a variety of psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and eating pathology (Egan et

Role of funding sources

This study had no funding.

Contributors

Authors Watson and Egan designed the study, author Joyce collected data and conducted statistical analyses. Authors Watson and Egan drafted the final manuscript. Author Kane provided statistical advice. All authors have approved the final manuscript.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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View full text

Mediators between perfectionism and eating disorder psychopathology in a community sample

Abstract

Highlights

Introduction

Section snippets

Participants

Participant characteristics

Discussion

Role of funding sources

Contributors

Conflict of interest

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Clinical Psychology Review

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Eating Behaviors

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Eating Behaviors

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach

Psychological Bulletin

The interplay of cultural syndromes and personality in predicting life satisfaction: Comparing Asian Americans and European Americans

Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology

Structural equations with latent variables

Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming

Body image, media, and eating disorders

Academic Psychiatry

Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic process: A clinical review

Clinical Psychology Review

Assessment of eating disorders: Interview or self-report questionnaire?

International Journal of Eating Disorders