Perfectionism predicts injury in junior athletes: Preliminary evidence from a prospective study

According to the stress–injury model (Williams & Andersen, 1998), personality factors predisposing athletes to elevated levels of stress may increase the risk of injury. As perfectionism has been associated with chronic stress, it may be one such personality factor. So far, however, no study has investigated the relationships between perfectionism and injury utilising a prospective design. Therefore, the present study examined perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns and injury in 80 junior athletes from team and individual sports (mean age 17.1 years; range 16–19 years) over 10 months of active training. The results of logistic regression analyses showed that perfectionism positively predicted injury, but only perfectionistic concerns emerged as a significant positive predictor. The likelihood of sustaining an injury was increased by over two times for each 1 SD increase in perfectionistic concerns. The findings suggest that perfectionistic concerns may be a possible factor predisposing athletes to an increased risk of injury.     

Estimating the value of national sporting success

The sporting success of athletes and national teams is associated with a feel-good-factor among the population. These positive social effects can be regarded as public goods that entail a certain value for the population. The value of public or non-market goods can be estimated using the contingent valuation method (CVM). A theoretical model is developed based on the consumption capital theory. This model explains the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for winning the 2010 Football World Cup as a function of sport-related and football-specific consumption capital as well as intangible and socio-economic factors. Within a survey of German citizens (n = 3049), the value of winning the 2010 Football World Cup is assessed using CVM. The model is tested using regression analyses to identify the significant determinants of WTP. The results reveal half of the respondents stated a WTP that amounted to €26 on average. The findings of a mixed-effects logistic as well as an alternative Tobit regression model show that intangible factors such as identification with the country and with the national team as well as individual and national importance of a good result significantly influence individuals’ WTP. Based on the findings of this study, it can be recommended that policy makers invest in national teams and athletes as national sporting success can generate a feel-good-factor among the population and make people happier. Additionally, it can impact on peoples’ perceptions and expectations about current and future economic situations which in turn determine macro-economic outcomes. Moreover, such estimations could be integrated into cost-benefit terms that are carried out for sport events.     

Perfectionism and training performance: The mediating role of other-approach goals

Recent research found perfectionistic strivings to predict performance in a novel basketball task among novice basketball players. The current study builds on this research by examining whether this is also the case for performance in a familiar basketball training task among experienced basketball players, and whether achievement goals mediated any observed relationships. Perfectionistic strivings, perfectionistic concerns, and 3?×?2 achievement goals were assessed prior to basketball training performance in 90 basketball players (mean age 20.9 years). Regression analyses showed that perfectionistic strivings predicted better performance. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that other-approach goals (e.g. beliefs that one should and can outperform others) accounted for this relationship. The findings suggest that perfectionistic strivings may predict better performance in both novel and familiar athletic contexts. In addition, beliefs about the importance and ability to outperform others may explain this relationship.