A mixed-methods exploratory study of perfectionistic climates and emotional abuse in aesthetic activities

Given the subjective judgements on performance, traditional values, and focus on striving for flawlessness, perfectionistic climates might be prevalent in aesthetic sports (e.g. gymnastics, figure skating) and ballet. Such climates may also be abusive, given the potential conceptual overlap between these constructs. This mixed-methods study investigates the connections between perfectionistic climates and emotional abuse. Two hundred and seven female aesthetic performers participated in an online survey and eight partook in semi-structured interviews. Interviewees offered potent insights into leadership behaviours characteristic of perfectionistic climates, advancing and deepening understanding in this emerging research area. The quantitative results show strong positive relationships between perfectionistic climates and emotional abuse, and the results generally indicate some degree of conceptual overlap. We conclude that strongly perfectionistic climates are likely to be emotionally abusive, but not all reasons for abuse reflect a striving for perfection.