Perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-esteem interact to predict bulimic symptoms: A model of bulimic symptom development

An interactive model of perfectionism, perceived weight status, and self-es teem was tested on 342 female undergraduates to predict bulimic symptoms. U sing a longitudinal design, the authors tested the model on data collected at 2 points: the spring of participants' senior year of high school and dur ing participants' first year of college. The authors hypothesized and found that self-esteem moderates the interaction between perfectionism and perce ived weight status in predicting bulimic symptoms. Women who are high in pe rfectionism and who consider themselves overweight exhibit bulimic symptoms only if they have low self-esteem (i.e., if they doubt they can attain the ir high body standards). High self-esteem women with the same diathesis-str ess conditions are less likely to exhibit bulimic symptoms. These findings clarify the role of perfectionism in bulimic symptomatology.