Influence of Perfectionism on Resistance to Change, Ambiguity Intolerance and Social Desirability among Young Adults

Abstract

Perfectionism in young adults as a phenomenon manifests into various areas of their lives from academic pursuit to social interactions to interpersonal relationships. It is characterized by persistent pursuit of flawlessness, thereby setting exceedingly high standards for themselves along with the tendencies of overly self- critical evaluations which has a significant influence across various facets of the individual’s life. The present study aimed to explore the influence of perfectionism on resistance to change, ambiguity intolerance and social desirability among young adults. The sample of 212 participants of age 18-25 years was selected. Tools administered included Big Three Perfectionism Scale- Short Form (Feher et al, 2019), Resistance to Change Scale (Oreg, 2013), Short Ambiguity Intolerance Scale (Pedovic et al, 2022) and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (Crowne and Marlowe, 1982). Regression analysis was used to analyze the data collected. Findings showed a significance relationship between all three forms of perfectionism with resistance to change and ambiguity intolerance. Social desirability only showed significant relationship with narcissistic perfectionism.