PERFECTIONISM AND MEANING IN LIFE

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of perfectionism in the meaning structure in life. The study sample consisted of 304 associate degree students. The findings revealed significant outcomes with regard to understanding the relationship between perfectionism and meaning structures in life. There is a positively moderate level of relationship between compatible perfectionism components of standards (r = 0.547, p < 0.001), and order (r = 0.394, p < 0.001) and meaningfullness. Further, there is a positively moderate level of relationship between standards (r = 0.475, p < 0.001), order (r = 0.353, p < 0.001) and search for meaning. There is a positive relationship between search for meaning and contradiction (r = 0.351, p < 0.001), and dissatisfaction (r = 0.164, p < 0.01) that are components of incompatible perfectionism, whereas no relationship was found between these components and meaningfulness. The regression analysis corroborates the prediction that the relationship between study variables can be explained based on objectives or targets. The compatible perfectionism subscales explain 23% of the variance in search for meaning and 30% of the variance in meaningfulness. The standards subscale significantly contributed to the model, whereas the contribution of order subscale is not significant. On the other hand, the incompatible perfectionism subscales explain 12% of the variance in search for meaning. In this context, it is possible to state that “standards” and “contradiction” effectively account for the variance in search for meaning and meaningfulness.