Exploration of aspects of perfectionism: Perseveration and Persistence and their association with metacognition, body image, and health behaviours

The relationship between perfectionism and health behaviours has been well researched, revealing a range of negative consequences that have been associated with those who express perfectionistic traits. However, there has been limited research investigating how recently proposed aspects of perfectionism (i.e., persistence and perseveration) may be adaptive or maladaptive in relation to body image. A survey was carried out among 1099 adult females exploring the association between different features of perfectionism (i.e., persistence and perseveration), metacognitive processes, negative emotion, body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviours in an Australian and New Zealand population. Results revealed that women who endorsed high levels of perseveration also displayed features of poorer body image, elevated negative emotion and distress, conveyed more metacognitive processes, and engaged in a lower number of healthy dieting strategies. The study will extend knowledge regarding the relationship between aspects of perfectionism, metacognition, and health behaviours