A Comparative Study to explore the relationship among Body Image, Maladaptive Perfectionism and Performance Anxiety in Dancers and Sports Athletes

Introduction: The “paradox of perfectionism” within kinaesthetic domains suggests that the relentless pursuit of excellence often functions as a precursor to debilitating psychological distress. Grounded in the Vulnerability Cascade Model, this study investigated the comparative influence of maladaptive perfectionism and body image dissatisfaction on performance anxiety among dancers (n = 60) and athletes (n = 60). Methods: A quantitative design was employed, utilizing the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Body Image State Scale, and the Sport Anxiety Scale-2. Statistical analysis via Independent Samples t-tests revealed no significant differences in absolute anxiety levels between the two cohorts (p > .05), suggesting a universal evaluative pressure across domains. However, Spearman’s Rank Correlation unmasked a critical and unexpected divergence in the “psychological fingerprints” of the groups. Results: The dancer group showed a significant negative correlation between maladaptive perfectionism and body image satisfaction (ρ = -.48, p < .001) whereas the athletes group did not (ρ = -.17, p = .64). Perfectionistic strivings are directly associated with physical self-worth in aesthetic environments, suggesting that perfectionistic strivings are “embodied,” and that this undermining of physical self-worth is a source of performance anxiety (r_s = .48, p < .001). Conclusion: These findings are useful in filling an important comparative gap and suggest that a change towards “body neutral” psychological techniques for dance and cognitive-task strategies in sport would help maintain the sustainability of elite performers.