Perfectionism has been defined as a belief; it is something that sociologically and by definition is unattainable. People strive to be perfect everyday and come to believe that any work that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable. Frost, Marten, Lahart, and Rosenblate (1990) define perfectionism as "the setting of excessively high standards of performance in conjunction with a tendency to make overly critical self-evaluations". According to psychologist Don E. Hamachek perfectionism is considered on some levels as an unhealthy compulsive behavior. Perfectionism is also considered a stable pattern of thinking and behavior that changes relatively little over time. This has contributed to the designation of perfectionism as a positive characteristic correlating with terms such as adaptive, normal, healthy, and functional. Perfectionism may be viewed as a desirable or undesirable attribute but it has been deemed a necessity in the performance of athletes. Numerous sport organizations strive for perfectionism and require athletes to achieve perfect performance outcomes each and every year. In the past decade sport psychology researchers wonder if gender plays a role in conceptualizing maladaptive sport perfectionism.
Studies in recent years have been concerned with identifying components of perfectionism, examining the adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of athletes’ determination to be perfect. It was found that striving for perfection during training periods and off-season training resulted in higher performance in new tasks when then in the designated competitive season. According to Enns and Cox (2002) and Flett and Hewitt (2005), adaptive perfectionism reflects setting reasonably challenging and achievable goals, high pe...
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The mean of Maladaptive perfectionism was 2.47 (2dp) and a low SD of 0.74 (2dp). The also Low SD of Maladaptive perfectionism statistics indicate a low chance of variability in the dataset. The mean Maladaptive
But then her eyes sought Aylmer’s face with trouble and anxiety. She then said to him ‘Dearest Aylmer, I’m dying,’ and she died.” (Hawthorne 324). Perfectionism is something everyone should try to avoid. It can never bring comfort, instead it adds to the
The participant’s BDI scores reflected moderate depression severity in the depressed group (mean = 29.62, SD = 9.27), and no depression in the control group (mean = 3.26, SD = 3.83). To measure for the level of perfectionism of an individual the performance perfectionism scale which is a 32-item questionnaire that measures outcome expectancy for performance associated with perfectionism was used. The PPS indexes how individuals expect their perfectionism to influence their performance. To make a graph from the measurements two dimensions are used in this study include, the outcome expectancy for performance (positive or negative), and the source of the high standards for performance (self-generated or prescribed by others). Four subtypes of perfectionism are quantified in the PPS: Positive Self-Oriented Performance Perfectionism, Negative Self-Oriented Performance Perfectionism, Positive Socially Prescribed Performance Perfectionism, and Negative Socially Prescribed Performance Perfectionism. Another test was conducted to measure the depression symptoms which was called Beck depression inventory II. This test includes 21-items questionnaire and the coefficient alphas were .93 and .94 for the Cognitive and Non-Cognitive subscales, respectively. The results revealed that positive and negative outcome expectancy
From a young age, I have always sought to categorize all aspects of my life. I have achieved this through the implementation of certain attributes. These include objectiveness, perfectionism, officiousness, industriousness and decisiveness. I thrive upon structure, without which I experience excessive anxiety. Whether it is a mild form of obsessive compulsive disorder or my inner drive to seek perfection in everything I do, it has impacted my relationships with others as well as my relationship with myself. My impartial nature and my desire to classify all aspects of my life have led me to judge myself and others very critically. My striving for perfection and my strong work ethic, has allowed me to become the best I can be in almost any field I put my mind to. The purpose of this essay is to consider the precepts of the book within the context of certain stages of my own life. Through reflecting on personal experiences I hope to gain a better understanding of myself.
As it becomes increasingly acceptable for women to be athletic in American culture, a new question arises: in which sports should women be allowed to participate? From a physiological standpoint, it has been scientifically proven that female bodies do not differ significantly enough from male bodies to prevent them from participation in any "male" sports. This division between "male" and "female" sports clearly stems from age-old, socially constructed norms of femininity and masculinity. When women attempt to challenge these societal molds by participating in sports that are traditionally male, the intricate web of norms is disrupted. Like many other instances where traditional social constructions are tinkered with, individuals and communities are forced to reevaluate how they think about and categorize their surroundings. I would argue that women's participation in athletics, especially in non-traditional sports, is instrumental in breaking down stereotypes and social confines that have plagued women for centuries
I went through much of high school at stage two where I was thinking mostly about my needs and myself. Part of my perfectionism was driven by the promise of being rewarded for excellence. My teachers always told me that quality work would be rewarded with an excellent education and career and a life of satisfaction. I desired all these things for myself and so I worked to serve my self-interest. Now, however, I am more motivated to work towards the efforts of the team. Gradually, I am learning to subordinate this intense desire to get ahead in life to helping others in an interpersonal way. For example, it is easier for me to stop working on math homework in order to help take out the trash at night now that I am transitioning into Kegan’s third stage.
It has taken many years for women to gain a semblance of equality in sports. Throughout history, women have been both excluded from playing sports and discriminated against in sports. Men’s sports have always dominated the college athletic field, but women were finally given a fighting chance after Title IX was passed. Title IX, among other things, requires scholarships to be equally proportioned between men and women’s sports. Although this was a huge gain for women, gender inequality still exists in sports today. An example of this persisting inequality can be seen when looking at men’s baseball and women’s softball. In college, baseball and softball are both major NCAA sports. It is widely accepted throughout today’s society that baseball is a man’s sport, and softball is a woman’s sport. Very few people question why the two sexes are separated into two different sports, or wonder why women play softball instead of baseball. Fewer people know that women have been essentially excluded from playing baseball for a long time. This paper will focus on why softball has not changed the way women’s basketball has, why women continue to play softball, the possibilities and dynamics of women playing baseball with and without men, and the most discriminating aspect of women being banned from playing professional baseball.
What are the social and cultural costs and benefits of an individual (male or female) entering a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex (e.g. women enter body building, power lifting, boxing; men enter synchronized swimming or field hockey)?
Pressure is placed on athletes to perform better. The fierce competitive nature of the real sports world in with the peoples excellence has caused athletes to seek alternative means to ...
2. What are the social and cultural costs and benefits of an individual (male or female) entering a non-traditional sport for their gender/sex (eg women who enter body building, power lifting, boxing; men who enter synchronized swimming or field hockey)?
of an athlete’s life. At its simplest level the process of setting goals and targets allows
Gender in sports has been a controversial issue ever since sports were invented. In the early years, sports were played only by the men, and the women were to sit on the sidelines and watch. This was another area of life exemplifying the sexism of people in which women were not allowed to do something that men could. However, over the last century in particular, things have begun to change.
Perfectionism of the mind is a goal rationalists try to strive for. Perhaps the main problem with this concept is that it promotes over achievement on everything we do. For many...
The topic of positive discipline is one of great importance especially so in the world of athletics. Often time the term discipline is misconstrued by parents, player and unfortunately some coaches. Parents may associate the term as their player being subject to harsh treatment; while athletes my see it as restrictive and punishing, sadly to say some coaches validate both the parents and the athletes view of discipline. Many older or seasoned coaches hold to the concept that discipline simply apply to the performance of all play properly, the athlete focusing solely on the sport they are participating and striving to win every game. Failure to live up to the coaches expectations could result in extreme practices or the like and be falsely labeled as discipline. However, athletes receive positive discipline it spans well beyond the practice or playing field. Positive discipline affects an athlete’s entire life sometimes for their entire life. Undisciplined athletes have the potential to reflect negatively on the entire organization and can be like an infectious disease that spreads rapidly to the whole team. The term “One bad apple will the spoil the bunch” holds especially true in team athletics. In athletics players spend a large amount of their time with fellow teammates making it easy to pick up one another’s habits both good and bad. Coaches and player of sports such as; Baseball, Basketball and Football spend anywhere from two to three hours a day, three to five times a week with one another. Quite naturally do to the many hour’s coaches and players spend together players learn some of their behavior from the coach. Often times coaches have more face time with players than parents; therefore, making positive discipline vit...
Becoming the perfect athlete takes hard work and extreme dedication. Reaching a long term goal does not happen overnight and should test every aspect of an athlete’s determination. First and foremost, in any athlete’s career is a training regime. Every athlete