Scale Overview
The Perfectionism in Sport Scale – PSS was developed by Mark H. Anshel, Jwa K. Kim, Ruth Henry (2009). It is designed to measure Sport Perfectionism. The scale is intended for use with Athletes.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 31 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Parental Expectations and Criticism, Self-Criticism, Neatness/Organization, Coach Expectations and Criticism.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Parental Expectations and Criticism |
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
10 |
| Self-Criticism |
11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18 |
8 |
| Neatness/Organization |
19,20,21,22,23 |
5 |
| Coach Expectations and Criticism |
24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31 |
8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 31 to 155. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Perfectionism: 31 – 72
- Moderate Perfectionism: 73 – 114
- High Perfectionism: 115 – 155
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Not specified in source text.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 8 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.