The role of perfectionist self-presentation and appearance schemes in the relationship between Perfectionism and disordered eating behaviors

Trabalho Final do Mestrado Integrado em Medicina apresentado à Faculdade de MedicinaPerfectionism has a critical role in eating disorders, since higher levels of perfectionism are associated with higher levels of eating disorder. As a transdiagnostic factor, multiple underlying factors could explain this established relation. Regarding eating disorders, perfectionist self-presentation and appearance schemes can be potential mediators in the relationship between perfectionism and food pathology. The present study analyses the mediating role of perfectionistic self-presentation and appearance schemes in the relationship between perfectionism and eating disorders. A total of 191 university students completed a battery of self-report scales measuring perfectionism, perfectionistic self-presentation, appearance schemes and eating psychopathology. Comparing the average scores of the various scales according to the scores in the TAA-25 (≥25 vs. <25), all variables except PSP were significantly higher in the first group. All variables showed, among them, positive and significant correlations, except for the social pressure to eat, which did not correlate with any of the other variables under study. Mediation analyzes revealed that perfectionism influences food psychopathology through perfectionist self-presentation and/or appearance schemes. Concluding, a person who simultaneously exhibits high levels of adaptive perfectionism, perfectionist self-presentation and appearance schemes will be more vulnerable to presenting food psychopathology. Regarding non-adaptive perfectionism, when the ways of influence of non-adaptive perfectionism pass through perfectionist self-presentation and appearance schemes, the results obtained are similar as those obtained for adaptive perfectionism. When it comes to food psychopathology, the distinction between negative/positive or adaptive/non-adaptive perfectionism usually tends to blur, so probably when studying the role of perfectionism in food psychopathology, the term “adaptive” will not be the most correct. Thus, perfectionist self-presentation and appearance schemes may be important targets of intervention for the prevention and treatment of food psychopathology.O perfecionismo é considerado um dos fatores etiológicos mais consistentes para a patologia alimentar. Como traço transdiagnóstico, o seu papel pode ser influenciado por diversos mecanismos subjacentes à especificidade dos sintomas. Tratando-se de patologia alimentar, a autoapresentação perfecionista e os esquemas sobre a aparência, podem ser potenciais mediadores da relação entre o perfeccionismo e a patologia alimentar. O objetivo do presente estudo é investigar o papel mediador da autoapresentação perfecionista e dos esquemas de aparência na relação entre o perfeccionismo e a psicopatologia alimentar. Um total de 191 (77.7% do sexo feminino; idade média = 20.18 ± 2.160) estudantes do ensino superior em Portugal preencheram um conjunto de questionários de autorresposta validados para a avaliação do perfecionismo, da autoapresentação perfecionista, dos esquemas de aparência e a psicopatologia alimentar. Comparando as pontuações médias das diversas escalas consoante as pontuações no TAA-25 (≥25 vs.