The relationship between perfectionism and discounting measures

Two separate studies examined the relationship between impulsivity, measured with delay discounting, and perfectionism, measured with the Almost Perfect Scale – Revised (APS-R) or the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS). Participants scoring in the top 15% of the perfectionism scales were compared to those scoring in the bottom 85% to reflect the increased perfectionism found in clinical populations. There was no relationship between delay discounting and perfectionism for the APS-R. However, on the FMPS, participants in the top 15% of perfectionism were significantly less impulsive compared to those who scored in the bottom 85%. Two subscales, Doubt and Parental Criticism, showed the strongest negative associations with impulsivity. Results suggest that certain aspects of perfectionism are more strongly associated with impulsivity, as measured with delay discounting, than others. Additionally, these results may have implications for individuals diagnosed with clinical disorders, such as anorexia nervosa (AN), as previous studies have shown that increases in impulsivity and perfectionism also show increases in eating disorders.