Practically perfect in every way: Perfectionism and evaluations of perfect performances in sport

Abstract

How do perfection strivers react when they witness a perfect sport performance? In two studies, we show that perfectionism is associated with a lower likelihood of providing perfect performance ratings when there is ambiguity about whether a performance is indeed perfect. In Study 1, 312 baseball fans watched the final plays from an infamous baseball game from 2010 in which a pitcher delivered what is known as a “perfect game”; however, due to an officiating error at the end of the game, the game was not officially considered to be “perfect”. In Study 2, a separate sample of 439 baseball fans participated in an experimental study in which they read scenarios depicting a perfect game in baseball. However, some participants were randomly assigned to learn that, due to an officiating error, the pitcher's performance could not be considered “perfect”. In both studies, we observed a negative association between perfectionism and the likelihood of rating the pitcher's performance perfectly when there was ambiguity about the perfectness of the game. These results speak to the mindset that is theorized to characterize perfectionists and demonstrate the hypersensitivity of perfectionists to signs of imperfection, even within perfect performances.