Socially Prescribed Perfectionism Predicts Next-Day Binge Eating Behaviors Over 20-Days

Existing research on perfectionism and binge eating suggests that socially prescribed, self-oriented, and other-oriented perfectionism (Socially Prescribed Perfectionism, SPP; Self-Oriented Perfectionism, SOP; and Other-Oriented Perfectionism, OOP) are differentially related to binge eating. However, previous studies have largely utilized cross-sectional methodology. The present study used a 20-day daily diary methodology to examine associations between daily levels of perfectionistic dimensions and next-day binge eating behaviors with a nonclinical sample of emerging adults (N = 263). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models indicated that daily SPP (but not SOP or OOP) predicted a greater intensity of next-day binge eating behaviors in the count portion of the model; however, daily levels of perfectionistic dimensions did not predict the presence/absence of next-day binge eating behaviors in the zero-inflated portion of the model. Additionally, analyses examining the reverse causal direction (i.e., binge eating behaviors predicting higher next-day perfectionism) failed to provide evidence that the occurrence or intensity of binge eating behaviors predicts next-day levels of SPP, SOP, or OOP. Overall, at a daily level, SPP appears to be a vulnerability factor for binge eating behaviors. It may be helpful for clinicians to target state-levels of SPP to reduce harmful binge eating behaviors. Public Significance Statement It has been suggested that people may be more likely to binge eat when they believe that others expect and demand perfection from them. This idea was supported by the results of this study, which showed that when a nonclinical sample of emerging adults (i.e., 18-25-year-olds) reported strongly believing that others expect and demand perfection from them (i.e., socially prescribed perfectionism), they were more likely to have more intense binge eating behaviors on days when they engaged in binge eating behaviors.