Latent profiles of perfectionism, unconditional self-acceptance, strengths use, and deficit correction: Associations with well-being in South Korean undergraduates

As a multidimensional trait, perfectionism has been classified by its two core dimensions. However, less is known about how other meaningful perceptions and behaviors manifest in perfectionist profiles. This study aimed to identify subgroups based on perfectionism dimensions (standards, discrepancy), unconditional self-acceptance (USA), strengths use, and deficit correction and to examine their associations with well-being in a sample of 399 undergraduates in South Korea. Latent profile analysis identified three subgroups: self-accepted perfectionists (39.3 %), non-perfectionists (32.4 %), and deficit-focused perfectionists (28.3 %). These profiles largely align with the 3-class model of perfectionism and reveal additional patterns of USA, strengths use, and deficit correction. The self-accepted perfectionists, characterized by high standards and low discrepancy, along with high USA and active engagement with strengths use and deficit correction, demonstrated the most adaptive outcomes in terms of flourishing and positive/negative affect. The deficit-focused perfectionists reported higher flourishing than the non-perfectionists and exhibited the highest negative affect. Findings suggest that self-acceptance and such proactive behaviors as strengths use and deficit correction help to understand unique characteristics and outcomes of perfectionist subgroups and warrant further research in diverse contexts.