Perfectionism and youth sport experiences: A social-cognitive perspective

Research has identified that perfectionism influences the way young people think, feel, and behave in sport. Typically, this research has focused on the separate effects of two main dimensions of perfectionism. The purpose of this thesis was to extend such research by testing the recently developed 2 × 2 model of perfectionism, which focuses on combinations (or subtypes) of the two main dimensions of perfectionism, in relation to the quality of young people’s sport experiences. The first of four studies suggested that the four subtypes of perfectionism from the 2 × 2 model are predictive of indicators of positive experiences in youth sport in a manner consistent with the model’s hypotheses. The second study suggested that the four subtypes are also predictive of indicators of negative experiences in youth sport but support for the model’s hypotheses was less consistent. The third study adopted qualitative research methods to explore the experiences of youth sport participants deemed prototypical of the four subtypes from their own perspective. The findings suggested that sport experiences differed considerably across the four subtypes and supported the model to varying degrees. The final study sought to understand where practitioners might be able to intervene and so examined the moderating role of perceptions of coaches and peers on the four subtypes in regards to young people’s sport experiences. The findings demonstrated that in a high coach task-involving climate all four subtypes experience lower friendship conflict, while in a high coach ego-involving climate three of the four subtypes experience less enjoyment. Collectively, these studies suggest that the 2 × 2 model of perfectionism is a useful framework for understanding the experiences of youth sport participants. To intervene at the level of the coach-created motivational climate may improve the sport experiences of young people who differ in combinations of perfectionism dimensions.