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Perfectionism, Ego Defense Styles, and Depression: A Comparison of Self‐Reports Versus Informant Ratings
Author(s) -
Flett Gordon L.,
Besser Avi,
Hewitt Paul L.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00352.x
Subject(s) - psychology , id, ego and super ego , perfectionism (psychology) , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , psychotherapist , economics , macroeconomics
The present study examined the associations among perfectionism, defense styles, and depression in an Israeli community sample of young adults. This study involved a comparison of self‐reports and informant ratings on all measures. A community sample of 210 pairs of same‐sex best friends from Israel completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Defense Styles Questionnaire – 40, and a depression measure. Analyses confirmed that socially prescribed perfectionism is associated with depression, not only in terms of self‐reports but also in terms of informant ratings. In addition, informant ratings revealed a link between other‐oriented perfectionism and depression. Both self‐reports and informant ratings also indicated that socially prescribed perfectionism is associated with immature defense styles and neurotic defense styles. Further simultaneous Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses of self‐reports and informant ratings showed that maladaptive defense styles mediate the link between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.