Interactive effects of perfectionism on competitive golf performance: A multi-level analysis

Fleming, DJM ORCID: 0009-0003-2955-7953, Hill, AP, Olsson, LF ORCID: 0000-0002-4705-6437, Mallinson-Howard, SH and Dorsch, TE (2025) Interactive effects of perfectionism on competitive golf performance: A multi-level analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 81. ISSN 1469-0292

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Abstract

Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality characteristic comprised of two higher-order factors termed perfectionistic strivings (PS) and perfectionistic concerns (PC). Research has typically found perfectionistic strivings to be related to better sport performance, while concerns are usually unrelated. However, many of the tests of this relationship use non-athletes, contrived tasks, and one-off performances, and have also focused on the separate, rather than interactive, effects of PS and PC. The present study was designed to address these limitations by testing the interactive effect of indicators of PS and PC in predicting performance across two rounds of competitive golf. Eighty-nine male golf athletes (Mage = 28.42 years, SD = 11.87) completed measures of perfectionism and then competed in a regional golf competition. Their cumulative score, relative to par, across two rounds determined their performance. Hierarchical linear modelling, nesting performances within individuals, holes, and rounds, showed a significant three-way interaction between self-oriented performance perfectionism (indicator of PS), socially prescribed performance perfectionism (indicator of PC), and round (b = 0.36, SE = 0.17, p = .039). At low levels of socially prescribed performance perfectionism, self-oriented performance perfectionism predicted improved performance; however, at high levels of socially prescribed performance perfectionism, self-oriented performance perfectionism predicted poorer performance. Findings highlight the importance of assessing the relationship between perfectionism and sport performance in real-world competitive contexts over time, while accounting for the interplay between indicators of PS and PC.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	11 Medical and Health Sciences; 13 Education; 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences; Sport Sciences; 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	17 July 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	24 July 2025
Date Deposited:	24 Jul 2025 08:39
Last Modified:	24 Jul 2025 09:00
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102952
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26822

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