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

Using a cross-national approach, we focused on sport perfectionismamong university athletes from two Western countries (i.e., Italyand Spain). We examined a guiding theoretical model in whichsport perfectionism influenced athletes’ experience of their ownperformance through the intervening effects of their basicpsychological needs’ satisfaction (BPN). We collected data on theshort version of the “Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionismin Sport” (MIPS) from athletes in both countries and firstexamined the country measurement invariance of the instrument.We then conducted a second study on a subsample of athletesfrom study 1 to examine the statistical tenets and the countryinvariance of the guiding theoretical model. Overall, we foundsupport to the guiding hypotheses. Study 1 findings showed thatthe MIPS had good psychometric properties and was invariantacross countries (i.e., MIPS items had similar meaning amongItalian and Spanish athletes). Study 2 findings overall showedsupport across countries for the guiding model. Athletes withrelatively high levels of perfectionistic strivings, later showedgreater levels of BPN satisfaction and this, in turn, positivelyinfluenced their personal experience of performance. On thecontrary, athletes with relatively high levels of perfectionisticconcerns, later showed lower levels of BPN satisfaction and this,in turn, negatively influenced their personal experience ofperformance. This investigation provides initial cross-nationalevidence for possible mediation mechanisms that may underpinthe relations between perfectionism and performance.