![Sample our Behavioral Sciences journals, sign in here to start your access, latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110801/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Behavioral-Sciences.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
There is compelling research to suggest that individuals high in perfectionistic concerns are at risk for psychological distress because they fail to effectively regulate their emotions. From a theoretical perspective, there may be multiple forms of maladaptive emotion regulation operating in the context of perfectionistic concerns, but empirical studies have generally examined only one or two of these at a time. Our research tested a diverse set of emotion-regulation factors that predict distress while accounting for perfectionistic concerns, and it examined the indirect effects between perfectionistic concerns and distress via these emotion-regulation factors. College students (N = 270) completed multiple measures of perfectionistic concerns, distress, and emotion regulation via a web-based survey. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) suggested three emotion-regulation factors that we labeled regulation difficulties, emotional avoidance, and rumination. A latent-variable model indicated that perfectionistic concerns predicted distress, and a separate model revealed that regulation difficulties, emotional avoidance, and rumination predicted distress. In a combined model, only perfectionistic concerns and rumination significantly predicted distress; moreover, only the indirect effect through rumination was significant. Our findings affirm the potential role of rumination as a key aspect of emotion regulation in the study of perfectionistic concerns.
N o tes o n c o ntrib utor
The authors do not have any financial interests or benefits that have arisen from applications of this research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Jeffrey H. Kahn
Jeffrey H. Kahn is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Illinois State University. His research interests are in the areas of emotion, scientific development, and quantitative methods.
Jennifer L. Woodrum
Jennifer Woodrum completed her Master's in Clinical-Counseling Psychology at Illinois State University with her research focusing on perfectionism and emotion regulation. She currently works as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and her professional interests include mood disorders, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based approaches.
Suejung Han
Suejung Han is an associate professor in Clinical and Counseling Psychology at Illinois State University. Her research focuses on emotional and personality factors in disordered eating and diversity issues.