Previous investigations on the factor structure of perfectionism have largely focused on the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. The current study aimed to identify the underlying factor structure of perfectionism, based on several widely used measures, and to examine how these factors related to psychopathology and personality broadly. College students (N = 598) completed several measures of perfectionism and broadband measures of psychopathology and personality. Exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) was conducted to examine the hierarchical structure of perfectionism followed by exploratory factor analysis. The hierarchical structure examined provides a framework for understanding the relationship between models of perfectionism at different levels of the hierarchy. The exploratory factor analysis revealed five dimensions of perfectionism: Achievement Striving, Evaluative Concerns, Expectations From Others, Narcissistic Perfectionism, and Organization. These dimensions were associated with psychopathology to differing degrees and were differentially related to personality. These results support using a multidimensional perspective to understand perfectionism.
Keywords: college students; exploratory factor analysis; perfectionism; psychopathology.