Perfectionism, Self-Image Goals and Compassionate Goals in Health and Mental Health: A Longitudinal Analysis

This research focuses on ego-focused self-image goals as central to understanding the vulnerability inherent in perfectionism and the link that perfectionism has with poorer health and emotional well-being. The present study expands theory and research on perfectionism from a unique motivational perspective through a longitudinal investigation of perfectionism, the pursuit of self-image goals related to self-improvement, and mental and physical health among 187 university students. Our central finding was that trait and self-presentational perfectionism were associated longitudinally with self-image goals and poorer mental and physical health. Longitudinal analyses showed that perfectionistic self-presentation predicted subsequent self-image goals, controlling for initial self-image goals. Additionally, self-image goals were associated with worse mental and physical health and greater loneliness and social anxiety. Collectively, our results illustrate the benefits of assessing problematic personal goals in perfectionism and the need to revise existing motivational accounts by recognizing the important role ego-involved goals play in guiding much of what perfectionists do and how they act in their daily lives.