Abstract
The present research investigated the characteristics of perfectionistic thoughts or self-statements of individuals who were dieting in order to develop a new scale, named the Perfectionistic Self-statements Inventory about Dieting (PSI-D). The reliability and validity of the PSI-D were also examined. In Study 1, a questionnaire consisting of 40 potential items generated from semi-structured interviews and an open-ended questionnaire survey was administered to 118 female university students who were on a strict diet. Factor analysis yielded four factors of the PSI-D: Persistence of High Standards, Self-Criticism about Failure, Respect for Striving, and Strict Self-Restraint. Sufficient internal consistency for the whole scale and each subscale was established. In Study 2, a test battery of the PSI-D and other scales was administered to two samples of female university students (n=148 and 140). The results demonstrated sufficient validity of the PSI-D. The authors discussed the usefulness of the PSI-D based on the results.
