Relations of the German almost perfect scale-revised and short almost perfect scale with the big five personality facets

Abstract

The Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R) and its short form (SAPS) are among the most-established multidimensional perfectionism measures. Yet, investigations into the APS-R/SAPS nomological networks have mainly been limited to the level of broader personality traits. This reliance on trait-level associations hampers the conceptual understanding of perfectionism traits by masking more complex relations with specific cognitive, emotional, and behavioral tendencies (personality facets). In this study, we validated German versions of the APS-R and SAPS and assessed their relations with the Big Five personality facets in two samples (NSample 1 = 305 university students; NSample 2 = 467 community adults). Both scales displayed satisfactory psychometric properties, convergent and criterion-related validity. Analyses on the level of the Big Five personality facets revealed complex and nuanced patterns of relations. These findings provide new insights into the APS-R and SAPS nomological networks and facilitate the conceptual distinction between the APS-R subscales.