Background: Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality trait characterised by high personal standards, self-critical evaluation and concern over mistakes (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990). Preliminary findings suggest that some forms of perfectionism are negatively correlated with self-compassion (Neff, 2003a), a mindset characterised by being moved by your own suffering and acknowledging that you are worthy of care and understanding (Brion, Leary, & Drabkin, 2014). However, there have been no further studies that investigate this relationship.
Method: A combined perfectionism measure (79 items; Stoeber & Madigan, 2016) and the Self-Compassion Scale (26 items; Neff, 2003a) will be administered online. This study requires a sample of 400-500 participants.
Analysis: Part I: Psychometric test construction via item reduction and factor analysis.
Part II: Testing a structural equation model of the relationship between perfectionism and self-compassion.
Discussion: This study will develop a new measure of perfectionism and provide new information about how perfectionism relates to self-compassion. Its findings have the potential to significantly impact therapeutic approaches to mental health and wellbeing
