Examination of the Relationship between Passion, Perfectionism and Burnout in Athletes

This study was carried out with the goal of examining the relationship between athletes' passion and perfectionism levels and athlete burnout, and to determine to what extent passion and perfectionism scores predict burnout experienced by athletes. A total of 267 athletes, located in various parts of Turkey and competing in various branches of sport, participated in the study on a voluntary basis. Of the participants, 65 were women (mean age: 20.12 ± 3.68 years) and 202 were men (mean age: 20.2 ± 4.04 years). The data collection tools that employed were the Passion Scale, Sport-Specific Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, and Athlete Burnout Measure. Descriptive statistics, Pearson Correlation Analysis, and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The results of multiple linear regression analysis conducted to test the predictive effects of athletes' passion and perfectionism scores on burnout scores showed that the perfectionism subdimensions of perceived parental pressure and concern over mistakes were significant predictors of the burnout subdimensions of reduced sense of accomplishment and emotional/physical exhaustion. The analysis further revealed that obsessive passion and the perfectionism subdimensions of perceived parental pressure and concern over mistakes were effective in predicting the burnout subdimension of devaluation. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that athletes who have developed obsessive passion toward their sport and have perfectionist tendencies that are not harmonizable will be more prone to experience burnout.