For my second round of research, I found a research paper regarding perfectionism in sports and its correlation to motivation. This study was called “Perfectionism and Motivation in Sport: The Mediating Role of Mental Toughness,” by Richard Cowden published in the South African Journal of Science. The goal of the study was to determine the relationship between perfectionism, motivation, and mental toughness.
This study defines perfectionism as “a personality trait that involves establishing and striving for exceptionally high personal performance standards and engaging in critical self-evaluation,” (Cowden, 2019). They had two sample groups of professional tennis players, classified into either high or low mental toughness groups. They asked a series of questions to determine their mental toughness and perfectionist rating. They analyzed their games to find a correlation between their personality traits and performance.
The results of this study show that mental toughness leads to self-determination, improving performance. They found a positive correlation between mental toughness, perfectionism, and self-determination. By improving mental toughness, athletes with high standards set for themselves and perfectionist mindsets can improve their flexibility, and overall become better players.