Executive Functioning Deficits in the Transdiagnostic Process of Multidimensional Perfectionism

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Ansley Taylor Corson (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Background: Recent research has demonstrated that a variety of types of psychopathology , including depression , anxiety , eating pathology , and obsessive-compulsive disorder , are characterized by cognitive deficits in executive functioning , as measured by standardized neuropsychological assessment measures in a clinical setting. Multidimensional perfectionism serves as a transdiagnostic process across all of these different types of psychopathology. Purpose: The current research seeks to understand the possible relations between multidimensional perfectionism , objective and subjective measures of executive functioning , and psychopathology symptoms. Methods: 2 , 157 healthy undergraduate students were asked to complete a series of online self-report inventories related to perfectionism and symptoms of psychopathology. One hundred and one eligible students were then asked to complete an approximately two to two-and-a-half-hour neuropsychological assessment battery , which included both objective and subjective measures of executive functioning. Results: Results indicated that scores on objective neuropsychological assessment measures of attention , fluency , planning and decision making , working memory , and processing speed were unrelated to perfectionism classification. This was true regardless of whether or not the covariates of age , history of head injury , past or present mental health concerns , current psychotropic drug use , currently experienced cognitive symptoms , and scores on measures of depression , anxiety , eating pathology , and obsessive-compulsive disorder were controlled for. Additional results indicated that there were no significant differences between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists on the Behavioral Regulation Index , Metacognition Index , or Global Executive Composite of the BRIEF-A (a self-report measure of executive functioning) once the covariates were controlled for. Further results demonstrated that there were significant differences between multidimensional perfectionism groups for symptom levels of eating pathology , depression , and anxiety. These significant effects of perfectionism classification on self-reported symptoms of depression , anxiety , and eating pathology disappeared entirely though when scores on the mini-IPIP , a measure of Big Five personality traits , were controlled for. Discussion: The current research found that there were no significant differences on objective neuropsychological assessment measures of executive functioning between multidimensional perfectionists. Furthermore , there were no significant differences on self-report measures of executive functioning between multidimensional perfectionists once covariates were controlled for. However , there were some interesting differences between multidimensional perfectionists in terms of the Big Five personality traits of Conscientiousness and Neuroticism.

Additional Information

Publication

Dissertation

Language: English

Date: 2019

Keywords

multidimensional perfectionism

Subjects

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