Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of Perfectionism Inventory: Developing 3-Factor Version

Abstract

The paper presents the results of confirmatory factor analysis of the Perfectionism Inventory in the sample of 625 subjects (which included patients with affective spectrum disorders and healthy controls from the general population). Three factorial structure of the instrument has been identified: 1) perceived evaluations concerns along with unfavorable social comparisons; 2) high personal standards; 3) negative selectivity and imperfection concentration. The scales exhibit high internal con sistency. The results yield significant positive correlations between factors 1 and 3 and psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90-r). The Personal Standards subscale revealed no correlations with measures of psychopathological symptoms. Patients score higher on subscales 1 and 3 than the controls, whereas subscale 2 again didn’t show any differences. The results are discussed in the context of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism dimensions.

Keywords

• Three-factor Perfectionism Inventory
• factorial structure
• reliability
• clinical sample