Perfectionism has come to be viewed as an important maintaining factor of disordered eating. In the transdiagnostic theory of eating disorders, Fairburn, Cooper and Shafran assert that clinical perfectionism is one of four core mechanisms that maintain eating disorder pathology. In the cognitive-interpersonal model of anorexia nervosa, perfectionism/cognitive rigidity is one of the four postulated maintaining factors. In addition, the three-factor theory by Bardone-Cone and colleagues implicates the interaction between high perfectionism, high body dissatisfaction, and low self-esteem in the growth of bulimic behaviour. In support of these theoretical positions, research consistently shows perfectionism to be elevated in people with eating disorders and people recovering from eating disorders compared to controls.
However the precise nature of the construct of perfectionism continues to be debated in the literature. Perfectionism has been proposed to be a multidimensional construct by two groups of theorists. The first construct, proposed by Hewitt and Flett, focuses on the interpersonal components of perfectionism, and the associated 45-item scale is divided into three subscales. The self oriented perfectionism subscale relates to setting high standards for achievement and self-criticism for not meeting standards. The other oriented perfectionism subscale includes items that relate to having high standards for other people that are unrealistic. The socially prescribed perfectionism subscale items are related to perceiving that other people hold unrealistically high standards for the individual.
The second theory proposes a 6 factor construct for perfectionism, measured using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, they are: Personal Standards (setting high standards), Concern over Mistakes (negative reactions to mistakes and perceiving mistakes as failures), Doubts about Actions (doubting one’s own performance), Parental Expectations (parents setting high standards), Parental Criticism (parents criticising for mistakes), and Organisation (organisation and neatness). Factor analyses have consistently shown a two factor solution, consisting of adaptive (achievement striving) perfectionism (Personal Standards and Organisation), and maladaptive evaluative concerns (Concern over Mistakes, Doubt about Action, Parental Expectations, and Parental Criticism). Achievement striving is typically associated with healthy functioning while maladaptive evaluative concerns is more consistently associated with psychopathology. There is one exception to this general finding, which is that elevated levels of both types of perfectionism are associated with eating disorders. Thus it has been suggested that elevated levels of both types of perfectionism confers most risk for disordered eating.
Findings from a research study by Wade and Tiggemann suggest that perfectionism is pertinent to the normative state of body dissatisfaction. Given the role of body dissatisfaction in increasing risk for disordered eating, this suggests that targeting perfectionism may be of benefit in buffering young people against the development of disordered eating. One piece of research has investigated an intervention that targeted perfectionism in middle adolescence which significantly reduced maladaptive evaluative concerns compared to two other conditions (media literacy informed by inoculation theory, which suggests that building skills to resist social persuasion will prevent the development of health-risk behaviours and a control condition).
(Adapted from jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2050-2974-1-2 Accessed on Thursday, 23 April 2020)
Based on the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
- Women are more likely to be perfectionists than men.
- Perfectionism is an inborn trait that cannot be fully eliminated from a person’s life.
- Hewitt and Flett’s construction and 6 factor construct are similar.
- Maladaptive evaluative concerns escalates eating disorders for some people.
- Addressing perfectionism at the age of 15-16 may lower the risk of future eating disorders.
Jawaban: E
Pembahasan:
Opsi A, B, dan D tidak dijelaskan dalam teks sehingga semua jawaban tersebut salah.
Konstruksi Hewitt dan Fleet pada paragraf dua berbeda dari 6 faktor konstruksi yang disampaikan pada paragraf tiga. Jadi, jawaban C salah.
Jawaban yang tepat adalah E. Hal ini sejalan dengan yang tertuang dalam paragraf terakhir teks. Di situ disebutkan tentang suatu penelitian yang membuktikan bahwa penanganan perfeksionisme yang dilakukan pada anak usia pertengahan remaja (usia 15-16 tahun) dapat menurunkan maladaptif evaluatif. Dampak penurunan tersebut adalah berkurangnya gangguan perilaku makan.
Dengan demikian, pilihan jawaban yang tepat adalah E.
