TY - JOUR
T1 - Perfectly imperfect
T2 - The use of cognitive bias modification to reduce perfectionism
AU - Dodd, Dorian R.
AU - Parsons, E. Marie
AU - Clerkin, Elise M.
AU - Forrest, Lauren N.
AU - Velkoff, Elizabeth A.
AU - Kunstman, Jonathan W.
AU - Smith, April R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/9
Y1 - 2019/9
N2 - Background and objectives: Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factor for psychopathology. The current study developed and evaluated a cognitive bias modification, interpretation retraining (CBM-I) intervention targeting maladaptive perfectionistic beliefs. Methods: Participants were undergraduate students randomized to complete the perfectionism CBM-I (n = 33) or control condition task (n = 36) at two time points. Additionally, participants completed measures of perfectionistic interpretations and trait perfectionism, as well as an impossible anagram task designed to elicit perfectionistic concerns. Results: Results indicated that after the intervention, participants who completed the perfectionism CBM-I endorsed fewer perfectionistic interpretations than participants in the control condition. Furthermore, although the study groups self-reported comparably low confidence in their anagram task performance, participants who completed the perfectionism CBM-I reported wanting to re-do significantly fewer anagrams than participants in the control condition, suggesting greater acceptance of imperfect performance following the intervention. Moreover, supporting a key hypothesized mechanism of effect in CBM-I, reductions in perfectionistic interpretations mediated the effect of condition on the desire to re-do anagram task items. Limitations: The study results should be viewed in light of limitations, including the short time-span of the study, and the use of a relatively small, non-clinical, and demographically homogenous convenience sample. Conclusions: Further research and development of the perfectionism CBM-I intervention are needed, but the present findings add to a nascent evidence base that suggests CBM-I holds promise as an accessible and transdiagnostic intervention for perfectionism.
AB - Background and objectives: Perfectionism is a transdiagnostic risk and maintenance factor for psychopathology. The current study developed and evaluated a cognitive bias modification, interpretation retraining (CBM-I) intervention targeting maladaptive perfectionistic beliefs. Methods: Participants were undergraduate students randomized to complete the perfectionism CBM-I (n = 33) or control condition task (n = 36) at two time points. Additionally, participants completed measures of perfectionistic interpretations and trait perfectionism, as well as an impossible anagram task designed to elicit perfectionistic concerns. Results: Results indicated that after the intervention, participants who completed the perfectionism CBM-I endorsed fewer perfectionistic interpretations than participants in the control condition. Furthermore, although the study groups self-reported comparably low confidence in their anagram task performance, participants who completed the perfectionism CBM-I reported wanting to re-do significantly fewer anagrams than participants in the control condition, suggesting greater acceptance of imperfect performance following the intervention. Moreover, supporting a key hypothesized mechanism of effect in CBM-I, reductions in perfectionistic interpretations mediated the effect of condition on the desire to re-do anagram task items. Limitations: The study results should be viewed in light of limitations, including the short time-span of the study, and the use of a relatively small, non-clinical, and demographically homogenous convenience sample. Conclusions: Further research and development of the perfectionism CBM-I intervention are needed, but the present findings add to a nascent evidence base that suggests CBM-I holds promise as an accessible and transdiagnostic intervention for perfectionism.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.04.002
DO - 10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.04.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 31071484
AN - SCOPUS:85065035727
SN - 0005-7916
VL - 64
SP - 167
EP - 174
JO - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
ER -