Perfectionism and Mood States Among Recreational and Elite Athletes

Recently, perfectionism has become a focus of attention in applied psychology. In athletic populations, both adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism have been found to exist (Terry-Short et al., 1995) but little research has been done on the relationships between perfectionistic tendencies and mood states in athletes. By furthering our understanding of potential relationships between perfectionism and mood, we may be able to promote the psychological health of athletes. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine perfectionism and its possible relationship with mood states among both elite and recreational athletes. Forty-four athletes from elite and recreational groups completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale for Athletes (MPS-A). Correlational analyses yielded statistically significant associations between specific mood state scores and various dimensions of perfectionism. Recommendations are made for future study.