Perfectionism and athletic performance: The mediating role of stress appraisals.

Researchers have found evidence that some dimensions of perfectionism are related to athletic performance. However, it is unclear why this is the case with few studies seeking to identify explanatory factors. It may be that this relationship is partly explained by stress appraisals (challenge versus threat) prior to performance. Building on existing research, the present study sought to provide the first test of this possibility and examine whether stress appraisals mediated the link between perfectionism and athletic performance.