The big three multidimensional perfectionism and the big five obsessive-compulsive and narcissistic personality traits : a preliminary study on their distinctive relationships and the specific roles of personality beliefs, parenting styles, and psychosocial adjustment

Abstract

Introduction: Over the years, a wealth of evidence has supported the conceptualization of perfectionism in terms of multiple dimensions, as opposed to a unitary construct. Recently, there has been a call for a more granular analysis of multidimensional perfectionism and its relationship with closely related personality conditions. While in clinical practice, perfectionism has been traditionally conceived as a unitary personality dysfunction subsumed under Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), there has been increasing evidence also in support of its strong affiliation with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). With increasing criticisms on the categorical approach to personality disorders, the latest release of the DSM-5 has adopted a hybrid approach to classifying personality disorders not only in terms of distinctive categorical conditions, but also in terms of pathological personality traits and dimensions. According to this Alternative DSM-5 Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD), personality disorders such as OCPD and NPD are also characterized by specific personality traits in accordance with the Five Factor Personality Model (FFPM). Despite this latest emphasis and development of a dimensional approach, very limited research has been conducted to examine the inter-relationships between the multidimensional construct of perfectionism on one hand, and the specific FFPM traits of OCPD and NPD on the other. The present research adopted a contemporary conceptualization of perfectionism into three major dimensions, namely rigid perfectionism, self-critical perfectionism, and narcissistic perfectionism, collectively referred to as the Big Three Perfectionism. This newly developed analysis has the clear advantage of identifying distinctive dimensions of perfectionism that are highly compatible with its emerging links with both obsessive-compulsivity and narcissism. Objectives: The present research sought to differentiate compulsive perfectionism and narcissistic perfectionism as measured by the Big Three multidimensional perfectionism constructs, and to examine their distinctive relationships to FFPM pathological personality traits of OCPD and NPD. In addition, the present research also investigated the specific roles of personality beliefs, perceived parenting styles, and psychosocial adjustment outcomes in deciphering the multidimensional constructs of Big Three Perfectionism. Methodology: A total of 1,050 university students participated on a voluntary basis to fill in an on-line battery of questionnaires, including the Big Three Perfectionism Scale, Five Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Five Factor Narcissism Inventory, Personality Belief Questionnaire - Obsessive Compulsive Subscale, Personality Belief Questionnaire - Narcissistic Subscale, Parental Authority Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale, Work and Social Adjustment Scale, and a social desirability scale. In order to assess temporal stability of the self-reported scales, 148 out of 1,050 students completed the same battery of psychometric measures twice within a period of 4 months. Results: As hypothesized, the Big Three perfectionism dimensions were significantly and differentially related to the Five-Factor personality traits of OCPD and NPD. According to the results, rigid perfectionism was saliently correlated with the FFM personality factor of conscientiousness, self-critical perfectionism was more associated with neuroticism and vulnerable narcissism, and narcissistic perfectionism was more correlated with antagonism, as well as vulnerable narcissism and grandiose narcissism. Both rigid perfect ionism and self-critical perfectionism were characterized by the personality beliefs pertaining to OCPD, whereas narcissistic perfectionism was characterized by the personality beliefs pertaining to NPD. Self-critical perfectionism was more related to authoritarian parenting style, whereas narcissistic perfectionism was uniquely more associated with permissive parenting style. Functionally, self-critical perfectionism was associated with higher levels of psychosocial maladjustment, as compared to rigid perfectionism and narcissistic perfectionism. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the importance of adopting a multidimensional approach to the understanding of perfectionism and its relationship with pathological traits of OCPD and NPD. Overall, the present study provided preliminary empirical support for the consideration of Big Three Perfectionism as a higher-order maladaptive personality trait in the DSM-5 dimensional model of OCPD and NPD. There was also evidence that supported the specific roles of parenting styles and personality beliefs in the differentiation among the multidimensional constructs of Big Three Perfectionism. Practical implications of the findings, limitations of the present study, and recommendations for future study were discussed.