Perfectionism in Sport, Exercise and Dance

Bridging the Gap Podcast

Study: A qualitative study of perfectionism among self-identified perfectionists in sport and the performing arts

Abstract: When adopting any measure of perfectionism to examine the characteristic in sport or the performing arts, researchers make assumptions regarding its core features and, sometimes, its effects. So to avoid doing so, in the current study we employed qualitative methods to examine the accounts of self-identified perfectionists. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to explore the opinions and perceptions of high-level, self-identified perfectionists from sport, dance, and music. In particular, we sought to obtain detailed information regarding (a) participants’ perceptions of the main features of being a perfectionist and (b) how they perceived being a perfectionist to influence their lives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 international/ professional athletes, dancers, and musicians. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and themes within the transcripts. Three overarching themes were identified: drive, accomplishment, and strain. Being a perfectionist was characterized by the participants as having ever-increasing standards, obsessiveness, rigid and dichotomous thinking, and dissatisfaction. The participants also described how being a perfectionist influenced their lives by, on the one hand, providing greater capacity for success in their respective domains but, on the other hand, contributing to varying degrees of personal and interpersonal difficulties. The accounts suggest that, in the main, the content of current models and measures adequately capture the features of being a perfectionist in sport and performing arts. However, a greater focus on obsessiveness, dissatisfaction, and intra- versus interpersonal dimensions of perfectionism would provide further insight into the lives of perfectionists in these domains.

Author: Andrew Hill

Dr. Andy Hill is the Head of Programme for Taught Master’s degrees in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at York St. John University. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Sport Studies (BSc) at De Montfort University and a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire. He primarily teaches Sport and Exercise Psychology and Research Methods with an emphasis in motivational processes, personality and individual differences. Growing up a big sports fan and keen participant in various sports, Andy can turn on any sports event and get lost in the drama and spectacle of watching athletes perform. He thinks sport is an excellent context in which to view human behavior.

Links:

Author: http://www.yorksj.ac.uk/health--life-sciences/faculty-of-hls/staff-contact-details/sport-staff/andy-hill-profile/andy-hill-research.aspx

Study: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/spy-spy0000041.pdf

Book: The Psychology of Perfectionism in Sport, Exercise and Dance

https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Perfectionism-in-Sport-Dance-and-Exercise/Hill/p/book/9781138958692

Quotes from the Episode:

“On one hand, perfectionism is a kind of powerful motivational force. It makes them train harder, train longer, it provides them a greater capacity for success. But the flip side to this, is they all reported to varying degrees some elements of difficulty coping with their perfectionism.”

“If they (perfectionists) can’t do it perfectly, they don’t do it at all.”

“Any successes are tainted or any successes are in context of this dark cloud that hangs over them.”

“There is nothing wrong with having exceptionally high standards, it’s essential for most domains, including sport, exercise and dance. But what is not essential is for every single little failure you experience that you engage in debilitating self-criticism to the point at which you are unable to persevere and return to the task.”