Skip to main content
Log in

Perfectionism and Social Phobia: Relationship Between the Constructs and Impact on Cognitive Behavior Therapy

  • Published:
Cognitive Therapy and Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study is a replication and extension of previous research investigating the relationship between specific, maladaptive aspects of perfectionism and social phobia. The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS-F; R. O. Frost, P. Marten, C. Lahart, & R. Rosenblate, 1990) was administered to a consecutive series of adult outpatients (N = 61) attending a group-based cognitive–behavioral treatment program for social phobia. MPS-F variables, Concern over Mistakes (CM) and Doubts about Actions (DA), were both associated with social anxiety severity at pretreatment. Despite the theoretical relevance of the CM dimension to social anxiety, the relationship between these two constructs did not remain significant once neuroticism and depression were controlled. Contrary to predictions, CM failed to predict treatment outcome beyond pretreatment social anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of the overlap between perfectionistic concern about mistakes and fear of negative evaluation in social phobia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alden, L. E., & Wallace, S. T. (1991). Social standards and social withdrawal. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 15, 85–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alden, L. E., & Wallace, S. T. (1995). Social phobia and social appraisal in successful and unsuccessful social interactions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 497–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., rev.) Washington, DC: Author.

  • Andrews, G. A., Crino, R., Hunt, C., Lampe, L., & Page, A. (1994). The treatment of anxiety disorders: Clinician's guide and patient manuals. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antony, M. M., Purdon, C. L., Huta, V., & Swinson, R. P. (1998). Dimensions of perfectionism across the anxiety disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 1143–1154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blatt, S. J. (1995). The destructiveness of perfectionism: Implications for the treatment of depression. American Psychologist, 50, 1003–1020.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1992. Quantitative methods in psychology: A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 155–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, B. J., Ross, L., Swinson, R. P., & Direnfeld, D.M. (1998). A comparison of social phobia outcome measures in cognitive–behavioral group therapy. Behavior Modification, 22(3), 285–297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deffenbacher, J. L., Zwemer, W. A., Whisman, M. A., Hill, R. A., & Sloan, R. D. (1986). Irrational beliefs and anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 10, 281–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enns, M. W., & Cox, B. J. (1999). Perfectionism and depression symptom severity in major depressive disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 783–794.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, S. B. G. (1975). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. London: Hodder & Stoughton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frost, R. O., Heimberg, R. G., Holt, C. S., Mattia, J. I., & Neubauer, A. L. (1993). A comparison of two measures of perfectionism. Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 119–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualisation, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, C., & Andrews, G. (1998). Long-term outcome of panic disorder and social phobia. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 12, 395–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Juster, H. R., Heimberg, R. G., Frost, R. O., Holt, C. S., Mattia, J. I., & Faccenda, K. (1996). Social phobia and perfectionism. Personality and Individual Differences, 21, 403–410.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.) Sydney: Psychology Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundh, L. G., & Ost, L. G. (1996). Stroop interference, self-focus, and perfectionism in social phobics. Personality and Individual Differences, 20, 725–731.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattick, R. P., & Clarke, J. C. (1998). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 455–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mattick, R. P., Peters, L., & Clark, J. C. (1989). Exposure and cognitive restructuring for social phobia: A controlled study. Behavior Therapy, 20, 3–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • McFall, M. E., & Wollersheim, J. P. (1979). Obsessive–compulsive neurosis: A cognitive–behavioral formulation and approach to treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 3, 333–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, W. D., & Adkins, K. K. (1995) A psychometric examination of the multidimensional perfectionism scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 17, 323–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rachman, S., Gruter-Andrew, J., & Shafran, R. (2000) Post-event processing in social anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38, 611–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapee, R. M., & Heimberg, R. G. (1997) A cognitive—behavioral model of anxiety in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 741–756.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saboonchi, F., Lundh, L., & Ost, L. (1999) Perfectionism and self-consciousness in social phobia and panic disorder with agoraphobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 799–808.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, M. B., & Chavira, D. A. (1998). Subtypes of social phobia and comorbidity with depression and other anxiety disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 50 (Suppl), S11–S16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steketee, G., & Chambless, D. L. (1992). Methodological issues in prediction of treatment outcome. Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 387–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stopa, L., & Clark, D. M. (1993). Cognitive processes in social phobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 31, 255–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (1996). Using multivariate statistics (3rd ed). New York: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells, A., Clark, D. M., & Ahmad, S. (1998) How do I look with my minds eye: Perspective taking in social phobic imagery. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 631–634.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation. (1997). Composite International Diagnostic Interview—Version 2.1 (12–month). Geneva: Author.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephanie Rosser.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rosser, S., Issakidis, C. & Peters, L. Perfectionism and Social Phobia: Relationship Between the Constructs and Impact on Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Cognitive Therapy and Research 27, 143–151 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023505108426

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023505108426

Navigation