A three-sample study of perfectionism and field test performance in athletes

The relationship between sleep, perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and academic and sports performance in young athletes

Perfectionism is associated with sleep as well as with academic and sports performance. Given the importance of sleep for performance and the sleep changes that occur during adolescence, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between sleep, two dimensions of perfectionism (perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns), with academic and sports performance in young athletes. The occurrence of perfectionistic strivings was identified as a tendency to set high personal standards for oneself, while the occurrence of perfectionistic concerns was identified as a tendency to feel pressure to be perfect and have concerns about imperfections. A total of 32 athletes aged 13 to 16 years old participated in this study. Perfectionism, sleep, and course grades were measured at the end of the school year. Sleep was measured by actigraphy, and sports performance improvement was obtained by comparing individual performance at the beginning and the end of the school year. The moderating effect of both dimensions of perfectionism on the relationships between sleep and academic and sports performance improvement was measured. First, results showed no significant relationship between sleep and academic/sports performance. Further analyses revealed that perfectionistic strivings moderated the relationship between certain aspects of sleep with academic and sports performance improvement. Delayed and suboptimal sleep habits were associated with lower academic and sports performance improvement when low levels of perfectionistic strivings were present. Results with perfectionistic concerns showed that this dimension did not moderate the relationship between sleep and academic and sports performance improvement. This study supports the notion that high levels of perfectionistic strivings in young athletes may mitigate the adverse effects of poor sleep habits in young athletes.

Perfectionism and performance in a trail running competition: a prospective study of the interactive effects of perfectionism

Several studies explored the links between perfectionism and sport performance. However, only a few studies examined this relationship in the context of real sport competition and with a focus on the possible interactive effects of the dimensions of perfectionism. The present study aimed to investigate whether the two higher-order dimensions of perfectionism - perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns - interact in predicting performance in mountain trail running competitions. 167 athletes (54 females, 113 males) aged 19 to 65 (M = 39.32, SD = 9.35) completed measures of perfectionism in the week prior to the competition. Regression analyses revealed that perfectionistic strivings were a positive predictor of the runners' performance while perfectionistic concerns showed no significant associations with performance. However, a more in-depth exploration within the framework of the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism showed that the beneficial effects of high perfectionistic strivings are no longer significant when accompanied by high levels of perfectionistic concerns. These results support the notion that perfectionistic concerns may be detrimental to sport performance even if their overall, direct effects are not significant, adding first evidence of the existence of standard but also flipped perfectionistic tipping points in the context of sport performance.

Perfectionism Moderates the Effects of Goal-Realızatıon on Post-Competition Mood in Amateur Runners

Perfectionism impacts how athletes evaluate their performance. However, little is known about how perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns interplay with athletes' anticipated and actual performance in predicting mood after the competition. Thus, we conducted a study with amateur runners [n = 152, (72 female, 80 male); Mean±SD age = 34.71 ± 9.57] taking part in a competitive 10-kilometer street run. Perfectionism was measured before the run, while the measurement of mood was taken during the post-competition week. Mood was operationalized in the 3D model of mood, distinguishing between energetic arousal, tense arousal, and hedonic tone. Regression analysis showed that specific patterns of associations between perfectionism and goal-realization explain 17-21% of variance in the dimensions of mood. Higher pleasure after the run was predicted by lower perfectionistic concerns and better conversion of anticipated performance into actual performance. In predicting energy and tension, moderating effects of perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and conversion rate were observed. Johnson-Neyman technique revealed that only athletes low in perfectionistic concerns were able to benefit from lower tension when they met or exceeded their goals for the run. The higher athletes' perfectionistic strivings and conversion rate the more pronounced effects we observed for affect-energization. Results support the idea of perfectionistic reactivity, where the negative consequences of perfectionism can be observed in a lack of positive reactions to positive events. We also suggest that such a response to meeting or exceeding one's goal may contribute to the development of athlete burnout and hinder the development athlete engagement.

The role of perfectionism in predicting athlete burnout, training distress, and sports performance: A short-term and long-term longitudinal perspective

This study examined the influence of perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns on athlete burnout and two key indicators of overtraining syndrome (training distress and subjectively perceived sports performance) using cross-sectional (N = 228), short-term (a 3-month interval, N = 93) and long-term (a 1-year interval, N = 83) longitudinal designs on a sample of adolescent athletes. In the cross-sectional analyses, sequential regressions revealed that perfectionism was a significant predictor of athlete burnout and both indicators of overtraining. In the three-month longitudinal perspective, both dimensions of perfectionism (strivings and concerns) contributed to the prediction of change in burnout and sports performance, but not training distress. When the one-year longitudinal relationships were regarded, only perfectionistic strivings significantly predicted decrease in burnout, and, for sports performance, the predictive power of both dimensions of perfectionism was even more pronounced when compared to the three-month longitudinal data.