Perfectionistic Self–Presentation Hewitt et al. The Impact of Perfectionistic Self–Presentation on the Cognitive, Affective, and Physiological Experience of a Clinical Interview Paul L. Hewitt, A. Marie Habke, Dayna L. Lee–Baggley, Simon B. Sherry, and Gordon L. Flett Perfectionistic self–presentation is proposed as a deleterious interpersonal style that has an influence in clinical contexts that involves promoting a public image of perfection and avoiding displays and self–disclosures of imperfections. A sample of 90 clinical patients taking part in a clinical interview were assessed in terms of their levels of perfectionistic self–presentation and trait perfectionism and their affec- tive, cognitive, and physiological reactions. Perfectionistic self–presentation di- mensions were associated with (1) greater distress before and after the interview, (2) negative expectations and greater threat prior to the interview, and (3) post–in- terview dissatisfaction. Analyses of physiological data found that perfectionistic self–presentation was associated with higher levels of heart rate when discussing past mistakes, and, as expected, the need to avoid disclosing imperfections pre- dicted higher levels of and greater change in heart rate when discussing past mis- takes. Analyses that controlled for trait perfectionism and emotional distress showed that the need to avoid disclosing imperfections was a unique predictor of (1) appraisals of the interviewer as threatening before the interview and as dissatis- fied after the interview; (2) negative pre and post self–evaluations of performance; and (3) greater change in heart rate when discussing mistakes. Perfectionistic self–presentation is discussed as an interpersonal style that can influence therapeutic alliance and treatment success. Recently there appears to have been a re–focusing on research dealing with person- ality variables in treatment–related issues (Blatt & Zuroff, 2005; PDM Task Force, 2006). For instance, extensive work indicates that personality variables may have an impact on psychotherapy (e.g., Beutler, 1991; Gar- field, 1994) and that assessment of these traits Psychiatry 71(2) Summer 2008 93 Paul L. Hewitt, Marie Habke, and Dayna L. Lee–Baggley are affiliated with the University of Brit- ish Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Simon B. Sherry is affiliated with Dalhousie University, and Gordon L. Flett with York University. This research is based on a dissertation by the second author under the supervision of the first au- thor. This research was supported by grants from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (410–2000–1102, and 410–2004–1556) awarded to the first author and a post–doctoral fellow- ship from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research awarded to the third author. Correspon- dence concerning this article should be addressed to Paul L. Hewitt, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, CANADA, V6T 1Z4. Electronic mail can be sent to HewittLab@psych.ubc.ca. Address correspondence to Paul L. Hewitt, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1ZA. E-mail: HewittLab@psych.ubc.ca.