Predicting perfectionism: Applying tests of rigidity

Adult college students (N = 108; M age = 24.3 years old) completed multidimensional measures of perfectionism (self‐oriented, other‐oriented, and socially‐prescribed perfectionism) and behavioral rigidity (attitudinal flexibility, psychomotor speed, and motor‐cognitive rigidity). Attitudinal flexibility was negatively related to all three forms of perfectionism, and motor‐cognitive rigidity was positively related to self‐oriented perfectionism. Multiple regression analyses indicated that attitude flexibility and motor‐cognitive rigidity were significant predictors of self‐oriented perfectionism, while attitude‐flexibility alone was the significant predictor of socially‐prescribed perfectionism. No measure of rigidity was a significant predictor of other‐oriented perfectionism. Thus, dimensions of perfectionism may be predicted with different measures of cognitive‐behavioral rigidity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.