The relationship between self-centered and community-oriented perfectionism and the retardation of elite male athletes in Kerman province

Academic Thesis for Master's Degree

Physical Education Field of Movement Behavior

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between self-centered and community-oriented perfectionism and the retardation of elite male athletes in Kerman province. The research method was applied in terms of purpose and correlational in terms of data method or strategy. For this purpose, during a study, 107 people (N = 107) elite male athletes in football, handball, volleyball, futsal, cycling, badminton and combat sports (average age: 25.39±5 years and average sports experience 8.17±4 years), Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Questionnaire (Bashart, 2013) and Athlete's Impulsivity Questionnaire (ABQ) (Radek and Smith, 2001) were completed. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient, multivariate regression and analysis of variance. The results of Pearson's correlation coefficient showed that self-directed perfectionism had an inverse and significant relationship (p?0.05) with a decrease in the sense of success and a sense of undervaluation, and in the dimension of physical-psychological fatigue, this relationship was inverse, but not significant, while social-oriented perfectionism had a direct and significant relationship with physical-mental fatigue (p?0.05) and a direct relationship with a decrease in the sense of success, but this relationship was not significant, and it had an inverse and significant relationship with the feeling of undervaluation. Also, the results of multivariate regression showed that self-oriented perfectionism inversely and significantly predicted the symptoms of stagnation, and social-oriented perfectionism directly and significantly predicted the decrease in the sense of success and physical-psychological fatigue, and the feeling of undervaluation inversely. 

-1 Introduction

     In recent years, most of the sports psychology researches seek to determine the variables that have a major contribution in effective sports performance. In this regard, in order to achieve sports success, it is necessary for the athlete to be in an optimal condition. However, the role of some of these psychological variables such as perfectionism[1], motivation, anxiety, stress and retardation[2] has been considered in this context that these variables may have a significant impact on elite athletes (Linely[3] and Joseph[4], 2004).

     In the sports psychology literature, retardation is defined as psychological, emotional and physical withdrawal from sports activities (Wiley[5], Armstrong [6], Kumar [7] and Greenleaf [8], 1998). In addition, the lack of balance between the requirements and the resources needed to provide them, in the long term, leads to tension and in this way causes stagnation (Meslech [9] and Goldberg [10], 1998). Also, in the condition of depression, a person may withdraw from his participation in sports for a while, because he does not find another way to escape from the situation and the tensions caused by it (Radek [11] and Smith [12], 2001). However, when a person suffers from depression, his involvement and commitment gradually decreases and creates a condition that is referred to as "lack of commitment" and "absence from work" (Scaffili[13] and Anzaman[14], 1998). Also, Radek and Smith (2001) showed that athletes' retardation is formed from the three dimensions of reduced sense of achievement [15], physical-psychological fatigue [16] and sense of appreciation [17]. Dimension of success refers to feelings such as failure and ineffectiveness and failure to achieve sports performance, physical-mental fatigue dimension, to feelings such as physical and mental fatigue during sports performance and exercises, and finally, the feeling of worthlessness dimension, refers to feelings such as the senselessness and futility of participation in sports and finding the importance of other activities compared to sports. However, one of the psychological variables that may have an effect on elite athletes is perfectionism. is In this regard, in a research conducted by Croswell[18] and Eklund[19] (2006), it was found that elite athletes[20] have high inhibitions, which causes the athlete to enjoy participating in sports very little and withdraw from participating in sports activities. Participation at the elite level of sports has unique characteristics compared to lower competitive levels, where a lot of psychological stress is applied to athletes, especially due to heavy training. In fact, heavy training is an inseparable principle of being at high competitive levels; Because training is the most important factor in improving and maintaining sports performance (Robotom, 2000) and its psychological pressure forms the major part of the daily life of elite athletes (Smith, 2003).In this context, we can refer to Burns' definition [21] (1980) of perfectionism, he defined perfectionism as a network of perceptions that includes expectations and evaluation of events. He adds that perfectionist people have very high expectations and define individual value according to the success or outcome of events. In this regard, Felt [22] and Hewitt [23] (1991) believe that perfectionism includes 3 subscales, self-oriented perfectionism [24] (adopting goals with high personal standards, accompanied by excessive critical evaluation), other-oriented perfectionism [25] (adopting extremely high standards, accompanied by a harsh and severe evaluation of others) and socio-oriented perfectionism [26] (having the perception that others expect them to be perfect and strictly severe they are subject to evaluation). Therefore, in the present research, we seek to determine the relationship between laziness and different dimensions of perfectionism in elite athletes in football, futsal, handball, volleyball, cycling, badminton, and combat sports. 1-2 Statement of the problem In the past few decades, sports psychology has grown significantly and a lot of knowledge has been gained about its role in increasing sports performance. Today, researchers in the field of sports psychology, such as Salemla [27], Sanetimanfard, Mesibi and Bush [28] (2009), believe that psychological skills are related to the excellent performance of elite athletes in sports. Also, Orlik [29] (2008), believes that the weakness of mental skills in athletes creates the ground for their failure in sports. In this regard, Meslech and Jackson [30] (1986) believe that laziness is common among athletes, the main cause of laziness is year-long participation in a specific sport and also the effect of some psychological variables on athletes' performance at high levels. It is important for coaches, parents and athletes to understand the signs and symptoms of retardation and deal with this issue effectively.

     However, since retardation in sports depends on various intrapersonal and interpersonal factors and stimuli and there are many environmental stressors in sports, they can provide the ground for the emergence and retardation of athletes. In addition to stressful factors related to sports, players' perfectionism can also cause stress in them. Due to the stress they suffer from their perfectionist goals, these players are more vulnerable to stagnation (Lazarus [31], 2000). Research findings in the field of examining the three dimensions of perfectionism have confirmed the correlation of this construct with personality traits, behavior and psychological problems. Carelessness and procrastination in doing things are related. Other-oriented perfectionism is correlated with negative characteristics, such as blameworthiness, authoritarianism and domineering, dramatic, narcissistic and antisocial personality traits. Socio-oriented perfectionism is related to the need for approval from others, fear of negative evaluation, external control source, overgeneralization, failure, depression, anxiety, and retardation (Bashart, 2013). In this context, Andrew, Hill, Howard, Hall, Powell, Appleton, Jima, and Murray (2010) in a research study the relationship between perfectionism and retardation, according to the influence of self-affirmation mediators[32]. (trying to prove one's competence) and the desire to progress [33] (tendency to examine problems and readiness for growth and success). The results of this research showed that social-oriented perfectionism has a direct and positive relationship with athlete's disability, and self-oriented perfectionism has an inverse relationship with athlete's disability. Also, Appleton [34] and Hill [35] (2012) investigated the relationship between self-centered perfectionism and social-centeredness with athletes' failure in football. The results showed that the relationship between self-centered perfectionism and athlete's retardation was negative and socio-oriented perfectionism with athlete's retardation was positive. In another study, Andrew, Hill, Howard, Hall, Appleton, and Kozob [36] (2008), showed that "self-acceptance without conditions [37]" has a mediating role in the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and societal perfectionism with athlete's retardation. Also, the results of this research showed that the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and retardation symptoms was direct and positive, and the relationship between social perfectionism and retardation was negative and inverse.