Perfectionistic self-presentation mediates the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and subjective well-being: A three-wave longitudinal study Sean P. Mackinnon a,⇑ , Simon B. Sherry a,b a Department of Psychology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, P.O. Box 15000, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 4R2 b Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, 5909 Veteran’s Memorial Lane, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2E2 article info Article history: Received 14 November 2011 Received in revised form 8 February 2012 Accepted 10 February 2012 Available online 3 March 2012 Keywords: Perfectionism Self-presentation Well-being Longitudinal Young adulthood abstract Dimensions of perfectionism are often proposed, but seldom integrated. Perfectionistic concerns and per- fectionistic strivings were conceptualized as traits (core, relatively unchanging aspects of personality) and perfectionistic self-presentation as a characteristic adaptation (a contextualized cognitive-behavioral strategy). Theory suggests traits predispose people to engage in corresponding characteristic adaptations, and that perfectionistic concerns confer vulnerability for subjective well-being (SWB). It was hypothe- sized that perfectionistic concerns – but not perfectionistic strivings – would have an indirect effect on SWB through perfectionistic self-presentation. Young adults (ages 18–24) transitioning into university for the first time (N = 127) participated in a three-wave, 130-day longitudinal study. As hypothesized, perfectionistic self-presentation mediated the relationship between perfectionistic concerns and SWB. In contrast, perfectionistic strivings did not predict longitudinal change in perfectionistic self-presenta- tion or SWB. This research integrates prior theory, and provides a novel test of hypotheses using longi- tudinal data. Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Most personality research focuses on stable personality traits which crystallize by midlife. This level of personality is referred to as primary stabilities (Wakefield, 1989), the ‘‘having’’ aspect of personality (Cantor, 1990), basic tendencies (McCrae & Costa, 1999), traits (Fleeson & Leicht, 2006) and dispositional signatures (McAdams & Pals, 2006). This first level of personality is thought of as core, relatively unchanging attributes and behavioral tenden- cies of people. This level represents internal features of people that do not rely on specific contexts or situations. For instance, people high in neuroticism are thought to experience negative affect more strongly than other people, regardless of the situation (Nettle, 2009). We refer to this level of personality as a ‘‘trait’’. Human individuality is not composed of traits alone. Theorists propose a second level of personality, which is referred to as secondary stabilities (Wakefield, 1989), the ‘‘doing’’ aspect of personality (Cantor, 1990), states (Fleeson & Leicht, 2006), or characteristic adaptations (McAdams & Pals, 2006; McCrae & Costa, 1999). This level refers to cognitive and behavioral strategies used by individuals to deal with everyday demands of life and includes contextualized features of personality which are contingent on par- ticular situations or developmental milestones. For instance, people are unlikely to be intrinsically motivated in all situations, so intrinsic motivation is best conceptualized at this level. We refer to this level of personality as a ‘‘characteristic adaptation’’. 1.1. Perfectionism: Trait or characteristic adaptation? There is growing consensus on two major dimensions of perfec- tionism: Perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings (Dunkley, Zuroff, & Blankstein, 2003; Stoeber & Otto, 2006). Perfec- tionistic concerns include doubts about personal abilities, extreme concern over mistakes and being evaluated, and strong negative reactions to perceived failure. Perfectionistic strivings include rig- idly and ceaselessly demanding perfection of oneself. These dimen- sions combine constructs from two dominant perfectionism research traditions: Cognitive-behavioral theory (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990) and personality/interpersonal theory (Hewitt & Flett, 1991). Evidence suggests perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings are stable, trait-like aspects of perfec- tionism (Graham et al., 2010; Hewitt & Flett, 1991; Rice & Aldea, 2006). Theory and research suggest these dimensions are not con- text-specific and widely impact virtually all aspects of a person’s life (Hewitt, Flett, Besser, Sherry, & McGee, 2003a). These dimen- sions are best considered a ‘‘trait’’. However, perfectionistic self-presentation is better conceptual- ized as a characteristic adaptation. Hewitt et al. (2003b) identified three components of perfectionistic self-presentation: Perfection- istic self-promotion (showcasing one’s supposed perfection), non- display of imperfection (concealing one’s imperfect behaviors), 0191-8869/$ - see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2012.02.010 ⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 902 494 7719; fax: +1 902 494 6585. E-mail address: mackinnon.sean@gmail.com (S.P. Mackinnon). Personality and Individual Differences 53 (2012) 22–28 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Personality and Individual Differences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/paid