Integrating Emotional and Academic Dimensions of Perfectionism: Insights from a Person-Centered Approach

This study examined latent profiles of perfectionism in adolescence by integrating three perfectionism dimensions, trait anxiety, academic self-concept, and positive and negative affect. Participants were 365 first-year secondary education students (46% males, 54% females; M = 12.4 years, SD = 0.57) who completed validated self-report measures. Latent Profile Analysis identified four distinct perfectionism–adjustment profiles: Adaptive, Self-Critical, Socially Prescribed, and Non-Perfectionist. Profiles differed in socio-emotional adjustment and academic achievement, with Adaptive and Self-Critical students performing similarly and Socially Prescribed students achieving lower grades. Multigroup analyses confirmed that profile structures were equivalent across genders. The study advances theory by separating SOP-Striving and SOP-Critical in a person-centered framework and offers practical implications for interventions, highlighting the importance of emotional regulation, strengthening academic self-concept, and providing support tailored to each profile’s specific needs.