Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study
Background: Perfectionism is a growing concern among university students, who face high expectations, demanding workloads, and complex academic tasks. These pressures often lead to stress, negatively impacting performance, well-being, and career trajectories. Existing measures of perfectionism and r...
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2025-05-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
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| author | Michela Piredda Alessio Lo Cascio Anna Marchetti Laura Campanozzi Paolo Pellegrino Marina Mondo Giorgia Petrucci Roberto Latina Maddalena De Maria Rosaria Alvaro Maria Grazia De Marinis |
| author_facet | Michela Piredda Alessio Lo Cascio Anna Marchetti Laura Campanozzi Paolo Pellegrino Marina Mondo Giorgia Petrucci Roberto Latina Maddalena De Maria Rosaria Alvaro Maria Grazia De Marinis |
| author_sort | Michela Piredda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Perfectionism is a growing concern among university students, who face high expectations, demanding workloads, and complex academic tasks. These pressures often lead to stress, negatively impacting performance, well-being, and career trajectories. Existing measures of perfectionism and related stress lack focus on their causes and relevance to students. Methods: This study developed and psychometrically tested an inventory assessing the causes (ROOTS), manifestations (MPS-R), and stress (IPSS-R) related to perfectionism. A multicenter cross-sectional online survey was conducted across multiple Italian universities with 469 students. The ROOTS tool was developed, and the MPS and IPSS were adapted following established guidelines. Content validity was examined, and pilot testing was performed. Confirmatory factor analyses tested three-factor models with a second-order factor for each instrument. Construct validity and reliability were also assessed. Results: The ROOTS, MPS-R, and IPSS-R demonstrated strong structural and construct validity, with acceptable reliability. Significant correlations highlighted the interconnectedness of perfectionism’s causes, manifestations, and stress. Conclusions: The Perfectionism Inventory offers a comprehensive tool for identifying causes, manifestations, and consequences of perfectionism in university students. It can help educators and policymakers develop strategies to mitigate its impact on mental health and academic success. Future research should explore its applicability in other populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-89cf73baf6d844ab85322ef755aeabf6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2174-8144 2254-9625 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-89cf73baf6d844ab85322ef755aeabf62025-08-20T02:24:34ZengMDPI AGEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education2174-81442254-96252025-05-011569410.3390/ejihpe15060094Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre StudyMichela Piredda0Alessio Lo Cascio1Anna Marchetti2Laura Campanozzi3Paolo Pellegrino4Marina Mondo5Giorgia Petrucci6Roberto Latina7Maddalena De Maria8Rosaria Alvaro9Maria Grazia De Marinis10Research Unit Nursing Science, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico di Roma University, Via Alvaro Del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133 Rome, ItalyResearch Unit Nursing in Palliative Care, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro Del Portillo, 200, 00128 Rome, ItalyResearch Unit of Bioethics and Humanities, Campus Bio-Medico di Roma University, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, ItalyResearch Unit Nursing in Palliative Care, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro Del Portillo, 200, 00128 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Pedagogy, Psychology and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Via Is Mirrionis, 1, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyResearch Unit of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, Piazza Delle Cliniche, 2, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Life Health Sciences and Health Professions, Link Campus University, Via Del Casale di San Pio V, 44, 00165 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133 Rome, ItalyResearch Unit Nursing Science, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico di Roma University, Via Alvaro Del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, ItalyBackground: Perfectionism is a growing concern among university students, who face high expectations, demanding workloads, and complex academic tasks. These pressures often lead to stress, negatively impacting performance, well-being, and career trajectories. Existing measures of perfectionism and related stress lack focus on their causes and relevance to students. Methods: This study developed and psychometrically tested an inventory assessing the causes (ROOTS), manifestations (MPS-R), and stress (IPSS-R) related to perfectionism. A multicenter cross-sectional online survey was conducted across multiple Italian universities with 469 students. The ROOTS tool was developed, and the MPS and IPSS were adapted following established guidelines. Content validity was examined, and pilot testing was performed. Confirmatory factor analyses tested three-factor models with a second-order factor for each instrument. Construct validity and reliability were also assessed. Results: The ROOTS, MPS-R, and IPSS-R demonstrated strong structural and construct validity, with acceptable reliability. Significant correlations highlighted the interconnectedness of perfectionism’s causes, manifestations, and stress. Conclusions: The Perfectionism Inventory offers a comprehensive tool for identifying causes, manifestations, and consequences of perfectionism in university students. It can help educators and policymakers develop strategies to mitigate its impact on mental health and academic success. Future research should explore its applicability in other populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/6/94academic stressconfirmatory factor analysisperfectionismpsychometric testingsurveys and questionnairesroots |
| spellingShingle | Michela Piredda Alessio Lo Cascio Anna Marchetti Laura Campanozzi Paolo Pellegrino Marina Mondo Giorgia Petrucci Roberto Latina Maddalena De Maria Rosaria Alvaro Maria Grazia De Marinis Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education academic stress confirmatory factor analysis perfectionism psychometric testing surveys and questionnaires roots |
| title | Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study |
| title_full | Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study |
| title_fullStr | Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study |
| title_short | Development and Psychometric Testing of Perfectionism Inventory to Assess Perfectionism and Academic Stress in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Centre Study |
| title_sort | development and psychometric testing of perfectionism inventory to assess perfectionism and academic stress in university students a cross sectional multi centre study |
| topic | academic stress confirmatory factor analysis perfectionism psychometric testing surveys and questionnaires roots |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/15/6/94 |
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