ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the research that has adopted it in sport, dance, and exercise. A large portion of research that has examined perfectionism in sport, dance, and exercise has done so by examining the effects of dimensions of perfectionism separately and, in many cases, their unique effects. The majority of research that has taken place has done so in a sport domain. However, more recently researchers have begun to examine dance and exercise with increased frequency. Athlete burnout is a psychosocial syndrome which includes three core symptoms: a reduced sense of accomplishment, emotional and physical exhaustion, and devaluation. A reduced sense of accomplishment is characterised by a perception of reduction in sport skills and abilities. The chapter outlines why people might sometimes need to exercise caution when using this approach, particularly when examining perfectionistic strivings. However, when examining pure perfectionistic strivings, they are clearly adaptive and they contribute to enhanced emotional well-being, motivation, and performance.
