The effects of perfectionism in elite sport: Experiences of unhealthy perfectionists
This study examined the perfectionism experiences of 10 elite perfectionist athletes (5 male and 5 female). Following completion of the Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2 (Gotwals & Dunn, 2009), a purposeful sample of unhealthy perfectionists were interviewed in relation to the study aims. Several themes emerged from the data that related to: effects of perfectionism and its antecedents on sporting experiences, specificity and level of perfectionism, and the coping skills and techniques used to counter the potentially detrimental effects of perfectionism. The findings highlighted the multidimensional nature of perfectionism and the need for future research to further explore the efficacy of techniques athletes use to promote healthy and reduce unhealthy facets of perfectionism.
History
Published in
The Sport PsychologistPublisher
Human KineticsPublication Year
2016Version
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Citation
Sellars, P.A., Evans, L. and Thomas, O. (2016) 'The Effects of Perfectionism in Elite Sport: Experiences of Unhealthy Perfectionists', The Sport Psychologist, 30(3), pp.219-230.Print ISSN
0888-4781Electronic ISSN
1543-2793Cardiff Met Affiliation
- Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences
Cardiff Met Authors
Paul Sellars Lynne Evans Owen ThomasCardiff Met Research Centre/Group
- Sport and Performance Psychology
Copyright Holder
- © The Publisher
Language
- en