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Perfectionism Cognitions, Rumination, and Psychological Distress

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Abstract

The current study examined the extent to which dimensions of perfectionism are associated with a ruminative response orientation and the experience of cognitive intrusions in response to stressful events. Our main goal was to test the hypothesis that individuals characterized by frequent automatic thoughts involving perfectionistic themes would also be characterized by a ruminative response orientation when distressed and they would report intrusive thoughts and images following the experience of a stressful event. A sample of 65 students completed several measures, including the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory, the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Response Styles Questionnaire, the Impact of Events Scale, and indices of depression and anxiety. Correlational analyses confirmed that high scores on the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory were correlated with a ruminative response orientation and the reported experience of intrusive thoughts and images following the experience of a stressful event. High levels of perfectionism cognitions, socially prescribed perfectionism, and rumination were also correlated with measures of depression and anxiety representingthe tripartite model. The results support the view that there is a salient cognitive aspect to perfectionism and the experience of frequent perfectionistic cognitions and related forms of rumination contribute to levels of psychological distress.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Gordon L. Flett, Dara Madorsky & Marnin J. Heisel

  2. University of British Columbia, Canada

    Paul L. Hewitt

Authors
  1. Gordon L. Flett
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  2. Dara Madorsky
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  3. Paul L. Hewitt
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  4. Marnin J. Heisel
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Correspondence to Gordon L. Flett.

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Flett, G.L., Madorsky, D., Hewitt, P.L. et al. Perfectionism Cognitions, Rumination, and Psychological Distress. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy 20, 33–47 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015128904007

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