The Structure of Multidimensional Perfectionism: Support for a Bifactor Model With a Dominant General Factor

Evidence suggests perfectionism is a multidimensional construct composed of 2 higher order factors: perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. However, the substantial overlap between perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns is problematic, as are the unanswered questions regarding the structure of perfectionism following removal of common variance. This research addressed this through bifactor modeling. Three student samples (N = 742) completed Hewitt and Flett's (1991 Hewitt, P. L., &; Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Frost, Marten, Lahart, and Rosenblate's (1990 Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., &; Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449–468.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Slaney, Rice, Mobley, Trippi, and Ashby's (2001 Slaney, R. B., Rice, K. G., Mobley, M., Trippi, J., &; Ashby, J. S. (2001). The revised almost perfect scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 34, 130–145.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Almost Perfect Scale–Revised. Greater support was consistently found for the bifactor model, relative to the 2-factor model. Results suggest the bifactor model best represents the structure of perfectionism and provide preliminary support for the use of a general factor score. Researchers are cautioned that removal of general variance may render the reliability of specific factors (i.e., perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns) suspect.