Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-16-2025

Publication Source

Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology

Publisher

Human Kinetics

ISSN

1932-9261

E-ISSN

1932-927X

Comments

Accepted author manuscript version reprinted, by permission, from the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2024-0045 © Human Kinetics, Inc.

Abstract

This study identifies two key impression-management motivations that arise in public settings: promoting virtues and preventing harm to one’s image. We explored their impact on mental health—specifically, socially-based perfectionism and depressive symptoms. Drawing from regulatory-focus theory, we predicted promotion motivations would predict strong mental health, prevention motivations would predict poor mental health, and promotion motivations would buffer against the negative effects of prevention motivations. Collegiate athletes and musicians (N = 262) completed validated measures of impression motivation, perfectionism, and depressive symptoms. Results revealed that athletes reported lower levels of perfectionism and depressive symptoms than did musicians. Across both groups, promotion motivations were generally linked to stronger mental health. For musicians, prevention motivations were associated with higher levels of perfectionism and depressive symptoms. For athletes, promotion motivations mitigated the adverse effects of prevention motivations on perfectionism. Findings suggest that focusing on promoting virtues may provide psychological benefits for both groups.

Keywords

perfectionism; depression; regulatory focus; prevention motivations

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