Perfectionism discrepancy and falling short of the ideal self: Investigating drinking motives and impaired control on the road to alcohol-related problems. (1st June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Canning, Jessica R.; Patock-Peckham, Julie A.; Walters, Kyle J.; Bauman, D.C.; Frohe, Tessa; Leeman, Robert F.
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 159(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06-01
• Subjects: Alcohol use -- Perfectionism -- Drinking-motives -- Impaired control -- Heavy-episodic-drinking -- Alcohol problems; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.109909
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Highlights: Discrepancy was directly linked to more coping and conformity-motives. Coping, enhancement, & conformity-motives were linked to more impaired-control. Social-motives were linked to less impaired-control. High-standards were linked to more social-motives and thus, less impaired-control. Coping-motives and impaired-control mediated discrepancy on alcohol-outcomes. Abstract: Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987) predicts that the difference between the ideal and the actual self will be associated with impaired-control-over-drinking (IC; dysregulated drinking beyond one's own limits) as well as alcohol-related-problems. According to Slaney et al. (2001) perfectionism is a multi-faceted personality trait which represents both adaptive (e.g. high-standards) and maladaptive (e.g. discrepancy) aspects. In particular, discrepancy has been associated with poorer coping approaches, which may suggest a Self-Medication route to IC. Yet, to date, no one has examined whether drinking-motives (e.g., social, enhancement, coping and conformity) mediate the relations between discrepancy and high standards and alcohol-outcomes such as IC. We used a structural equation model to test indirect associations of discrepancy and high-standards to both heavy-episodic-drinking and alcohol-related-problems through the mediating mechanisms of drinking-motives and IC. Results supported the distinction between discrepancy and high-standards consistent with the Self-Medication Hypothesis (Hersh & Hussong, 2009). Discrepancy was associated with poorer alcohol-outcomes through greater coping-motives, conformity-motives and IC. In contrast, higher-standards were associated with fewer alcohol-outcomes through less coping-motives, conformity-motives, and IC. This study illustrates the importance of personality factors such as discrepancy in the development of problematic alcohol-use suggesting that it might be a good target for intervention. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract