Date of Conferral

4-22-2024

Date of Award

April 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Gregory Hickman

Abstract

Black women are diagnosed with depression at exponentially higher rates than their White counterparts, and maladaptive perfectionistic traits such as self-critical perfectionism may be a significant factor in this trend. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate the potential moderating effect of education level on the relationship between parental expectations for academic achievement and self-critical perfectionism in Black women. A sample of 144 Black women aged 18–50 completed an anonymous survey. Out of the total responses, 96 completed the entire survey. SPSS (Version 28) excluded one case from the analysis, yielding 95 viable cases. Through bivariate and multiple regression analyses, including moderation testing, significant relationships were uncovered between parental expectations for academic achievement and self-critical perfectionism (F[1,94] = 8.660, p = .004, R2 = .075), as well as between education level and self-critical perfectionism (F[1,94] = 4.726, p = .032, R2 = .038). However, the anticipated moderating effect of education level on the relationship between parental expectations and self-critical perfectionism did not attain statistical significance (p = .387). These findings align with existing literature on maladaptive perfectionism within Asian and Asian American populations, highlighting the impactful role of parental expectations in fostering self-critical perfectionistic traits. The findings could provide key insights into factors behind self-critical perfectionism for parents, educators, and mental health experts, enhancing understanding of mental health challenges and resilience in Black women and leading to improved, culturally competent mental health care strategies.

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