The satisfaction of basic psychological needs mediates the relation between perfectionism and sport performance: a longitudinal cross-national investigation

ABSTRACT

Using a cross-national approach, we focused on sport perfectionism among university athletes from two Western countries (i.e., Italy and Spain). We examined a guiding theoretical model in which sport perfectionism influenced athletes’ experience of their own performance through the intervening effects of their basic psychological needs’ satisfaction (BPN). We collected data on the short version of the “Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport” (MIPS) from athletes in both countries and first examined the country measurement invariance of the instrument. We then conducted a second study on a subsample of athletes from study 1 to examine the statistical tenets and the country invariance of the guiding theoretical model. Overall, we found support to the guiding hypotheses. Study 1 findings showed that the MIPS had good psychometric properties and was invariant across countries (i.e., MIPS items had similar meaning among Italian and Spanish athletes). Study 2 findings overall showed support across countries for the guiding model. Athletes with relatively high levels of perfectionistic strivings, later showed greater levels of BPN satisfaction and this, in turn, positively influenced their personal experience of performance. On the contrary, athletes with relatively high levels of perfectionistic concerns, later showed lower levels of BPN satisfaction and this, in turn, negatively influenced their personal experience of performance. This investigation provides initial cross-national evidence for possible mediation mechanisms that may underpin the relations between perfectionism and performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Perfectionism
• basic psychological needs
• subjective performance
• longitudinal study

Data availability statement

The data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 All scales’ omega (ω) reliabilities were estimated with Jamovi (Version 2.3).

2 Descriptive statistics were performed using SPSS (version 26.0).

3 Additional gender invariance analyses were performed within and between each sample. Findings showed that Italian males reported higher scores than Spanish males in the items presenting DIF (the DIF detected was small). Here, only the main finding was reported, but further details can be requested from the authors.

4 The BNSSS was also tested for measurement invariance across countries. Since this is a well-established questionnaire and we used the five subscales of the BNSSS as measurement indicators for this study, the analyses were carried out considering these parameters. The results of MGCFA revealed that all factor loading (FL), except for the FL of autonomy-choice indicator (ΔSB-χ2 = 5.17, Δdf = 3, p = 0.16, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.06), and all intercept (IN), except for the IN of relatedness indicator (ΔSB-χ2 = 7.8, Δdf = 6, p = 0.25, CFI = 0.98, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.05), were invariant across countries. The practical significance of the DIF was trivial (d = 0.14), thus guaranteeing partial invariance of the BNSSS between countries. Further information is available upon request from the authors.