The relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and pre-competition emotions of youth footballers

Objectives: Research has found that trait and dispositional perfectionism are related to pre-competition emotions. However, less is known about whether other aspects of perfectionism, such as perfectionistic cognitions, are related to pre-competition emotions. To address this limitation, the current study examined (i) the relationship between self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism and pre-competition emotions, and (ii) whether perfectionistic cognitions predict pre-competition emotions after controlling for these two dimensions of perfectionism. Design: A cross-sectional survey. Method: Two hundred and six youth footballers (M age = 15.54 years, SD = 1.93) completed self-report measures prior to their next competition. Results: Regression analyses revealed socially prescribed perfectionism was a positive predictor of anger, while self-oriented perfectionism was a positive predictor of excitement. After controlling for self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, perfectionistic cognitions were a positive predictor of anxiety, anger, and dejection. Conclusion: The findings suggest that perfectionistic cognitions are important in regard to pre-competition emotions.