The Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale-Junior Form: Psychometric Properties and Association With Social Anxiety in Early Adolescents

This study assessed the psychometric characteristics and correlates of the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale-Junior Form (PSPS-JR). The PSPS-JR was designed for use with children and adolescents, but its psychometric properties and applications among early adolescents have not been investigated. The PSPS-JR has three subscales assessing the perfectionistic self-promotion (i.e., the need to appear perfect), the need to avoid displaying imperfections, and the need to avoid disclosing imperfections to others. A sample of 88 adolescents in Grades 7 and 8 completed the PSPS-JR, the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale, the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale for Children, and a three-factor measure of social anxiety. Psychometric analyses indicated that two of the PSPS-JR subscales had acceptable levels of internal consistency, but the nondisclosure of imperfection subscale had relatively low internal consistency. Significant links were found between the PSPS-JR subscales and trait perfectionism and dysfunctional attitudes, thus attesting to the concurrent validity of this new measure. Finally, perfectionistic self-presentation was associated robustly with all three social anxiety factors and predicted unique variance in social anxiety, above and beyond trait perfectionism. The findings support the continued use of the PSPS-JR and the assessment of individual differences in perfectionistic self-presentation among early adolescents.