RELATIONS OF EATING BEHAVIOR AND SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY TO THE DIMENSIONS OF PERFECTIONISM AMONG UNDERGRADUATE WOMEN

Two studies examined the associations of overall perfectionism and dim ensions of perfectionism to pathology in college women. In both studie s, depressive symptoms were related to increased concern about mistake s, doubts about actions, and parental expectations However those highe r in depressive symptoms tended to set lower personal standards, signi ficantly so in Study 2. In both studies, eating disturbance was relate d to concern over mistakes and doubts about actions but not to parenta l expectations or personal standards. In Study 2, perfectionism dimens ions related differentially to anxiety symptoms. Concern over mistakes , doubts about actions, and, marginally, low personal standards, relat ed to anxiety symptoms, but parental expectations and parental critici sm did not. When depressive symptoms were controlled neither overall p erfectionism nor any of the perfectionism subscales predicted anxiety symptoms. However perfectionism was still related to depressive sympto ms after controlling for anxiety symptoms. perfectionism may thus be m ore specific to depressive than to anxiety symptoms.