Socially prescribed perfectionism predicts next-day binge eating behaviors over 20-days.

Existing research on perfectionism and binge eating suggests that socially prescribed, self-oriented, and other-oriented perfectionism (Socially Prescribed Perfectionism, SPP; Self-Oriented Perfectionism, SOP; and Other-Oriented Perfectionism, OOP) are differentially related to binge eating. However, previous studies have largely utilized cross-sectional methodology. The present study used a 20-day daily diary methodology to examine associations between daily levels of perfectionistic dimensions and next-day binge eating behaviors with a nonclinical sample of emerging adults ( N = 263). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression models indicated that daily SPP (but not SOP or OOP) predicted a greater intensity of next-day binge eating behaviors in the count portion of the model; however, daily levels of perfectionistic dimensions did not predict the presence/absence of next-day binge eating behaviors in the zero-inflated portion of the model. Additionally, analyses examining the reverse causal direction (i.e., binge eating behaviors predicting higher next-day perfectionism) failed to provide evidence that the occurrence or intensity of binge eating behaviors predicts next-day levels of SPP, SOP, or OOP. Overall, at a daily level, SPP appears to be a vulnerability factor for binge eating behaviors. It may be helpful for clinicians to target state-levels of SPP to reduce harmful binge eating behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).