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Insecure Attachment, Maladaptive Perfectionism, Self-Esteem, Depression, and Bulimic Behaviors for College Women: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

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Abstract

This cross-cultural comparison study examined the direct and indirect effects (via several cognitive-affective pathways) of insecure attachment on bulimic behaviors and explored cultural similarities and differences in all pathways of the indirect effect model between female university students from the U.S. and Korea. Our findings from the two cultural samples (N = 421 for the Korean sample, N = 271 for the U.S. sample) generally indicated that both insecure attachment variables were associated with bulimia through three-sequential mediational functions of maladaptive perfectionism, lowered self-esteem, and heightened depression. However, the results also highlighted several culturally specific nuances in the indirect effect paths through which adult attachment insecurity affects bulimic behavior (e.g., adult attachment was indirectly associated with bulimia via maladaptive perfectionism and self-esteem only for the U.S. group). Findings are discussed from the perspectives of adult attachment theory, trans-diagnostic theory, and local cultural context. Limitations, future research directions, and counseling implications are presented.

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Funding

This study was partially supported by the Internal Research Support Project from Sogang University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea

    GiBaeg Han

  2. Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311280, Denton, TX, 76203, USA

    Chiachih D. C. Wang & Danna Bismar

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Ling Jin

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  1. GiBaeg Han
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Correspondence to Chiachih D. C. Wang.

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Ling Jin is now in the Werklund School of Education at Calgary University.

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Han, G., Wang, C.D.C., Jin, L. et al. Insecure Attachment, Maladaptive Perfectionism, Self-Esteem, Depression, and Bulimic Behaviors for College Women: A Cross-Cultural Comparison. Int J Adv Counselling 44, 197–219 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-021-09462-w

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