Mean-level change of perfectionism in late childhood: a 2-year longitudinal investigation

We examined patterns of mean-level change in striving for perfection, self-critical perfectionism, and socially prescribed perfectionism over two years in late childhood. The study involved five waves of data and a total of 377 children (43% girls) with a mean age of 10.66 years (SD = 0.56) at time 1. Growth curve models were used to investigate the development trajectories of perfectionism and how they differ by gender. We also examined whether initial levels and rates of change in children’s perfectionism predict subsequent self-esteem and school engagement levels. Results indicated a small but significant decline in striving for perfection and socially prescribed perfectionism for both genders. Self-critical perfectionism also decreased significantly, but only among boys. The three development trajectories were positively interrelated, suggesting that children who increased over time in one aspect of perfectionism tended to increase also in the others. Nonetheless, different prospective associations with self-esteem and school engagement were found for the three dimensions. Initial levels of striving for perfection displayed positive effects on both variables at time 5, while initial levels of socially prescribed perfectionism had negative effects. Additionally, increasing levels of striving for perfection were related to higher school engagement, above and beyond initial levels of perfectionism. Increasing levels of socially prescribed perfectionism were related to lower self-esteem. Results are discussed and linked to earlier findings on patterns of change in perfectionism during childhood and adolescence.