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Perfecting Weight Restriction: The Moderating Influence of Body Dissatisfaction on the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Weight Control Practices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2014

Caroline Leanne Donovan ,
Dianne Chew  and
Rhiannon Penny
Caroline Leanne Donovan*
Affiliation:
School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Dianne Chew
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Rhiannon Penny
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Caroline Donovan, School of Applied Psychology & Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, 176 Messines Ridge Rd, Mt Gravatt QLD 4122, Australia. Email: c.donovan@griffith.edu.au
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Abstract

This study explored the moderating effect of body dissatisfaction (BD) on the relationship between perfectionism and weight restricting and control behaviours (WRCBs). A sample of 167 female undergraduates completed self-report measures of perfectionism, BD and WRCBs. BD was not found to moderate the relationship between either perfectionism and dieting, or perfectionism and exercise. Instead, BD uniquely predicted both dieting and exercise, as did the perfectionism dimensions of self-oriented perfectionism, concern over mistakes, parental standards, and organisation. BD moderated the relationship between perfectionism and purging for analyses involving self-oriented perfectionism, concern over mistakes, and doubts about actions, such that there was a significant positive association between perfectionism and purging when BD was high but not low. Perfectionism and BD are important in different ways to WRCBs. The importance of measuring multiple dimensions of perfectionism and differentiating between the various types of WRCBs is highlighted.

Keywords

body dissatisfactionperfectionismdietingexercisepurging
Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , September 2014 , pp. 189 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2014 

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