PERFECTIONISM AND LEARNED RESOURCEFULNESS IN DEPRESSION AND SELF-ESTEEM

Recent research has shown that individual differences exist in self-oriented perfectionism, other-oriented perfectionism, and socially-prescribed perfectionism. The present study examined the extent to which various dimensions of perfectionism are related to levels of personal adjustment and whether individual differences in learned resourcefulness mediate the relation between perfectionism and adjustment. A sample of 103 subjects completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Rosenbaum's Self-Control Schedule, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Consistent with past research, it was found that the belief that others have perfectionistic standards for oneself (i.e. socially-prescribed perfectionism) was the perfectionism dimension most closely related to depression and low self-esteem. Moreover, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the interaction of greater socially-prescribed perfectionism and lower perceived self-control accounted for unique variance in depression scores. It was also found that self-oriented perfectionism was associated positively with self-control. The role of learned resourcefulness as a mediator of the link between perfectionism and adjustment is discussed. © 1991.