Exploring self-sabotage in athletes

Sabrina Malouka, David M. Brown, Catherine M. Sabiston 

Self-sabotage refers broadly to the thought processes and behaviours individuals engage in that ultimately prevent them from achieving their goals. While self-sabotage has been extensively studied in contexts such as academic performance and relationships, little is known about self-sabotage in the context of sport and exercise. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to explore how self-sabotage in the context of sport and exercise is both perceived and experienced. Because of their exposure to sport and exercise, this study focused on athletes’ perceptions and experiences of self-sabotage. Using a qualitative description approach, 8 athletes (aged 18+ years) participated in semi-structured interviews. Framed within a social constructivist paradigm, data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Based on preliminary findings, two main themes were identified: underlying features of self-sabotage, and perceptions of self-sabotage as sequential. Underlying features of self-sabotage included athletes’ fear of failure, low self-esteem and self-efficacy, self-presentation, avoidance coping, and negative self-talk. Athletes perceived self-sabotage as a sequential process, starting with cognitions (e.g., thinking they are not good enough at what they do) which developed into behaviours (e.g., avoiding exercise or sport altogether). These findings highlight how self-sabotage is both perceived and experienced in sport and exercise contexts. This research provides foundational information for future work aiming to improve participation and retention in sport and exercise, and for studies seeking to mitigate barriers relating to self-sabotage.