Cognitive-affective mediators of perfectionism and college student adjustment

We tested models of perceived stress and categorical thinking as mediators and also moderators of the association between perfectionism and psychological well-being. Results based on a large sample (N = 364) of college students revealed significant associations between perfectionism and the cognitive-affective variables, and between perfectionism and the academic, social, and psychological adjustment variables. Each of the cognitive-affective variables also was significantly associated with the adjustment indicators, but the mediator models were only partially supported, and none of the moderator models were supported. The results are discussed in terms of other literature on the adaptive-maladaptive conceptualization of perfectionism. Findings suggest promising points of intervention to ease the effects of maladaptive perfectionism or enhance the attributes of adaptive perfectionism.