The effects of fear of evaluation as a mediator of the relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety in college students

Perfectionism is widely associated with social anxiety, yet the relationship is rarely explored with consideration to the multidimensionality of perfectionism. This study investigates the potential mediating effects of the bivalent fear of evaluation (BFOE) model on the relationship between perfectionism dimensions and social anxiety, a construct that proposes the importance of both fear of negative evaluation and fear of positive evaluation in social anxiety. Our research involved 435 university students who completed a large battery of measures as part of a prior study. The results demonstrated that irrespective of valence, fear of evaluation partially mediated a positive relationship between perfectionistic concerns over mistakes and doubts about action and social anxiety, and parental pressures and social anxiety. Additionally, in line with the BFOE model, both valences of fear of evaluation partially mediated a negative indirect effect between perfectionistic order and social anxiety. In contrast, perfectionistic personal standards demonstrated a non-significant bivariate relationship with social anxiety. The study supports the BFOE model and contributes to a deeper understanding of the association between dimensions of perfectionism and social anxiety.