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The authors describe 2 studies on the development of the Dyadic Almost Perfect Scale (A. J. Shea & R. B. Slaney, 1999). In Study 1 (N = 389), confirmatory analyses validated the factor structure of the measure, and additional results supported the reliability and construct validity of the subscale scores. In Study 2 (N = 280), data again supported the reliability and construct validity of the subscale scores.
There seems to be general agreement in the literature on perfectionism that there are negative aspects of perfectionism that have a range of potentially deleterious effects on the psychological status of perfectionists (Ashby & Rice, 2002; Blatt, 1995; Burns & Beck, 1978; Flett & Hewitt, 2002; Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990; Grzegorek, Slaney, Franze, & Rice, 2004; Hamachek, 1978; Hewitt & Flett, 1991 ; Mobley, Slaney, & Rice, 2005; Pacht, 1984; Rice & Slaney, 2002; Slaney, Rice, & Ashby, 2002; Sorotzkin, 1985). It seems plausible that these negative aspects of perfectionism also have negative effects on the interpersonal relationships of perfectionists, particularly in intimate or romantic relationships (Habke & Flynn, 2002).
Current measures of perfectionism attend, in different ways and to varying degrees, to the interpersonal aspects of perfectionism. In reviewing perfectionism and interpersonal relationships, Habke and Flynn (2002) made a distinction between direct and indirect effects of perfectionism on interpersonal relationships. The Self-Oriented Perfectionism subscale from Hewitt and Flett's Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS-HF; Hewitt & Flett, 1991 ) might be an example of a scale that measures intrapersonal aspects of perfectionism that affect interpersonal relationships indirectly. A number of studies have linked self-oriented perfectionism to depression, and there are many examples of studies linking depression to interpersonal problems generally (Alden, Bieling, & Wallace, 1994; Jacobson & Anderson, 1982; Kanfer & Zeiss, 1983; Nezlek & Imbrie, 1994; Schmaling & Jacobson, 1990; Wallace & Alden, 1991) and problems in intimate relationships in particular (Ruscher & Gotlib, 1988).
Similarly, the Discrepancy subscale of the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R; Slaney, Mobley, Trippi, Ashby, & Johnson, 1996) is another example of a measure of perfectionism that assesses the indirect effects of perfectionism on interpersonal relationships. The Discrepancy subscale was developed to measure the perceptions respondents have about whether they have reached the standards they set for themselves. A number...