Exploring Domain-Specific Perfectionism: Do Excelling Student-Athletes Differ in Perfectionism than their Teammates?
Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Perfectionism can be defined as striving for perfection and setting excessively high standards along with tendencies of hypercritical evaluation of behaviors (Frost, Marten, Lahart, & Rosenblate, 1990). Recent research suggested that perfectionism might differ between domains (e.g., academics, athletics). For example, Dunn, Dunn, and McDonald (2012) showed that student-athletes perceived higher perfectionistic tendencies in athletics compared to academics. However, it is unknown whether there were differences between excelling athletes (e.g., All-Americans) and their teammates. As such, the purpose of the present study was two-fold: a) to examine the differences between excelling athletes (i.e., qualifying for Academic All-American) and their teammates, and b) to explore predictors of perfectionism in academics and athletics. In total, 199 NCAA athletes (female n = 106, Mage = 19.49, SDage = 1.19; male n = 91, Mage = 19.35, SDage = 1.17) completed domain-specific (i.e., academics and athletics) measures of perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty, perceptions of competence and importance, satisfaction, and stress. Fifty-eight participants met the criteria for Academic All-american (i.e., GPA > 3.3, starting status) and were considered as ‘excelling’. To compare excelling student athletes to their teammates, three mixed-model ANOVAs were conducted. Athletes in both groups generally showed significantly higher perceptions of perfectionism in athletics compared to academics on all dimensions. For the second purpose of the study, six multiple regressions predicting perfectionism in both domains were conducted. Prospective intolerance of uncertainty was the strongest predictor in all six regressions.
Author: Zachary McCarver
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2955166004