Psychometric Properties of the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale With Australian Adolescent Girls

The psychometric properties of the Frost, Marten, Lahart, and Rosenblate Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (1990) are investigated to determine its usefulness as a measurement of perfectionism with Australian secondary school girls and to find empirical support for the existence of both healthy and unhealthy types of perfectionist students. Participants were 409 female mixed-ability students from Years 7 and 10 in two private secondary schools in Sydney, Australia. Factor analyses yielded four rather than the six factors previously theorized. Cluster analysis indicated a distinct typology of healthy perfectionists, unhealthy perfectionists, and nonperfectionists. Healthy perfectionists were characterized by higher levels on Organization, whereas unhealthy perfectionists scored higher on the Parental Expectations & Criticism and Concern Over Mistakes & Doubts dimensions of perfectionism. Both types of perfectionists scored high on Personal Standards.