Conditional self-acceptance VS Unconditional self-acceptance

Perfectionists are unduly negatively critical of their own performances and have a general need for approval from those around them. They are driven by failure and not by the goals they want to achieve, and are more likely to have negative reactions to their own mistakes, or to view their mistakes as failures (Kim, 2011). In terms of weight, conditional self-acceptance seems to be obtained through attaining a certain weight. Likewise, when considering performance or competence, conditional self- acceptance seems obtainable through attaining self-perceived perfection or exceptionally high achievement.

In Kim’s (2011) therapy experiences conditional self-acceptance seems rooted in earlier childhood experiences where the foundation for such thinking was cultivated. Upon educating the individual on this aspect, some may not even be aware of this schema of self-evaluation, as they would claim it has been their way of thinking for most of their lives, which is reminiscent of personality disorder traits.

136 Hewitt et al. (1995) suggest different mechanisms as to how perfectionism can function in eating disordered behaviour. Firstly, they suggest that perfectionism can influence both the frequency and impact of distressing environmental events. As highly perfectionistic individuals have stringent evaluative criteria, falling even slightly short of a goal, may be viewed as a catastrophic failure. Thus, the probability of experiencing such significant failure is increased. Secondly, other environmental- or developmental events may have a marked negative impact as perfectionists may interpret such events as indicating their lack of perfection. Thus, perfectionism may be relevant to ED symptoms in the sense that individuals may require themselves to meet ideal body- or weight standards that derive from themselves or others. Thirdly, a strong need for perfectionistic self-presentation can influence eating behaviour by not allowing the person to display imperfections, or admit to difficulties. Thus, these sorts of personality tendencies may be relevant in body image avoidance and symptoms that presumably highlight the individual’s imperfections.

Hewitt, et al.’s (1995) study suggests that the strong need to present to others an image of perfection, or avoid revealing imperfection in the self, are significantly related to both AN and BN tendencies. Also, the link between a perfectionistic style of self-presentation and poor self-esteem was particularly strong: Striving to appear flawless is an attempt to compensate for low self-esteem. Hewitt et al. (1995) concluded in their findings that self-oriented perfectionism may be specifically linked to dieting and concerns with being thinner, but may not be as involved in other aspects of eating disordered behaviour. Their findings that socially prescribed perfectionism is related broadly to disordered eating patterns and concerns about appearance and self-esteem, lends support to other conceptualisations suggesting

137 that some perfectionistic striving seen in eating disordered behaviour, is motivated by strong needs to conform to a model or ideal of perfection that is perceived as demanded by the self or others. What seems to be a key determinant of this motivation is the central belief that one must be acceptable to others by meeting their perceived perfectionistic requirements (Hewitt et al.,1995).

Dunkley, Zuroff and Blankstein (2003) distinguish between two dimensions within perfectionism: Personal standards (PS) perfectionism and Self-critical (SC) perfectionism. PS perfectionism involves the setting of high standards and goals for oneself. On the other hand, SC perfectionism involves constant and harsh self- scrutiny, overly critical evaluations of one’s own behaviour, an inability to derive satisfaction from successful performance, and chronic concerns about others’ criticism and expectations. Their research highlights the specific personality structure of SC perfectionists. SC perfectionists are theorised to quickly blame and condemn their abilities and personal qualities, which they view as fixed and deep-seated. SC perfectionists become preoccupied with their deficiencies and their inability to handle a stressful situation, engaging instead in avoidance of threatening stimuli. SC perfectionists’ self-blame and denigration also explain their perceptions of low efficacy and expectations of criticism from others in their dealing with the stressful situation, which also contributes to their use of avoidant coping styles (Dunkley et al., 2003).

The tendency to engage in avoidant coping styles might serve both to impede adaptive coping, and to increase the severity of the stressors that an SC perfectionist experiences. In addition, it is hypothesised that SC perfectionists believe they have

138 less social support available to them in times of stress. Thus, these individuals lack an important resource to encourage more adaptive coping strategies and make stressful situations seem less overwhelming (Dunkley et al., 2003).

In summary, SC perfectionists are believed to experience chronic dysphoria because of their tendency to perceive that they have much at stake, have daily stressors that they need to disengage from, and that others are unwilling or unavailable to help them in times of stress. Thus, in stressful situations, SC perfectionists blame their perceived deficiencies, thereby becoming preoccupied with their low self-worth, which partly explains their use of avoidant coping. Finally, SC perfectionists lack confidence in their ability to handle stressful situations adequately, which also partly explains their avoidant coping tendencies (Dunkley et al., 2003).