PERFECTIONISM AND COMPONENTS OF STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY

The association between dimensions of perfectionism and state and trai t anxiety was examined in three studies. Study 1 and Study 2 were corr elational studies that investigated the link between dimensions of per fectionism (i.e., self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescrib ed perfectionism) and the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scales (EMAS ). Taken together, the results indicated that self-oriented and social ly prescribed perfectionism 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 assoc iated with the ambiguous and social evaluation facets in Study 1, and socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with the ambiguous an d daily routines facets in Study 2. The purpose of Study 3 was to exam ine perfectionism and state anxiety under conditions of high versus lo w ego involvement. It was found that socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with higher state anxiety, but only in the high ego in volvement condition. Self-oriented perfectionism was unrelated to stat e anxiety in either experimental condition. Overall, the findings indi cate that socially prescribed perfectionism is the dimension linked mo st closely with components of state and trait anxiety, especially unde r 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.