John K. Gotwals

A Multi-Method Multi-Analytic Approach to Establishing Internal Construct Validity Evidence: The Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale 2

This article presents a chronology of three empirical studies that outline the measurement process by which two new subscales (Doubts about Actions and Organization) were developed and integrated into a revised version of Dunn, Causgrove Dunn, and Syrotuiks (2002) Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (i.e., the Sport-MPS-2). All studies were designed to provide internal validity evidence that supported the inclusion of these new subscales into the instrument. Phase 1 determined that expert judges regarded the new Doubts about Actions and Organization items (n = 12) as possessing adequate levels of content-relevance and content-representativeness. Phases 2 and 3 examined the latent dimensionality of the Sport-MPS-2 using multidimensional scaling and factor analytic techniques. At a structural level, results indicated that the new Doubts about Actions and Organization subscales were suitable for inclusion in the Sport-MPS-2. Initial external validity evidence is presented via correlational and regression analyses surrounding the relationships between Sport-MPS-2 subscales and global self-esteem. The benefits of utilizing a multi-method multi-analytic approach in the initial stages of the construct validation process are discussed.

Examining the relationship between perfectionism and trait anger in competitive sport

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between athletes’ perfectionist orientations and their dispositional tendencies to experience anger in sport. A sample of 138 male teenage high‐performance Canadian Football players (M age = 18.27 years, SD = .71) completed multidimensional domain‐specific measures of perfectionism and anger in sport. Canonical correlation (R C) results revealed a profile of maladaptive perfectionism (i.e., high personal standards combined with high concern over mistakes and high perceived coach pressure) that was significantly correlated with competitive trait anger (R C = .56) and the tendency to experience anger when playing poorly (R C = .47). That is, as athletes’ levels on three perfectionism dimensions increased (i.e., personal standards, concern over mistakes, and perceived coach pressure), so did their dispositional tendencies to experience anger in sport. The benefits of conceptualizing perfectionism as a domain‐specific construct, and the importance of considering all dimensions of perfectionism simultaneously when examining the functional nature of the construct in sport are discussed

Perfectionism, coping, and burnout among intercollegiate varsity athletes: A person-oriented investigation of group differences and mediation

Objectives: The current study examined whether athletes, classified according to their perfectionism profile, differed across burnout and coping function and whether differences in burnout were mediated by coping. Design: Cross‐sectional. Method: American intercollegiate varsity athletes (N = 173; 50% female; M age = 19.83 years) completed measures assessing their perfectionistic tendencies towards sport, their perceptions of burnout, and the function of their coping efforts in sport. Latent profile analysis followed by the three‐step method (Asparouhov & Muthén, 2014) was used to classify participants according to their perfectionistic tendencies and to identify class differences in burnout and coping. Regression analyses were used to test whether coping function mediated class differences in burnout. Results: A 3‐class model was adopted that classified participants into mixed perfectionists, pure personal standards perfectionists, and nonperfectionists as defined in the 2 × 2 model (Gaudreau & Thompson, 2010). Mixed perfectionists showed the highest levels of athlete burnout and reported using avoidant coping to a greater extent and emotion‐focused coping to a lesser extent, than pure personal standards perfectionists. Despite these differences, coping function was not identified as a mediator of class differences in burnout. Conclusions: The distinction between mixed perfectionists, pure personal standards perfectionists, and nonperfectionists appears to be useful for the classification of perfectionistic orientations endorsed by North American high‐performance athletes. Whereas mixed perfectionists appear to be the most susceptible to athlete burnout, the function of their coping efforts in sport was not identified as a mechanism behind this characteristic. HighlightsLatent profile analysis of Sport‐MPS‐2 scores supports 3 subtypes of the 2 × 2 model.Mixed perfectionists showed the highest levels of athlete burnout.Mixed perfectionists use relatively more avoidant coping.Personal standards perfectionists use relatively more emotion‐focused coping.Coping function did not mediate group differences in athlete burnout.