The mediating role of academic perfectionism in explaining the relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction in sport sciences students

The purpose of this research is to determine the relationship between sport sciences students’ self-esteem and life satisfaction levels and to test the mediating role of academic perfectionism in this relationship. The study aims to understand how academic perfectionism affects the connection between self-respect and general life satisfaction among students facing academic and personal challenges in sport sciences education. The study employed a quantitative research design using questionnaires collected from 578 students studying at the sport sciences faculties of Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University and Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University in Turkey. Three standardized instruments were used as data collection tools: the “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale,” “Life Satisfaction Scale,” and “Academic Perfectionism Scale.” Structural equation modeling was utilized to test the research hypotheses and analyze the relationships between variables. Self-esteem positively predicted academic perfectionism among sport sciences students. Contrary to expectations, self-esteem negatively affected life satisfaction directly. Academic perfectionism was found to negatively and significantly predict life satisfaction. The mediating effect analysis showed that while self-esteem directly and negatively affected life satisfaction, it demonstrated an indirect weak negative effect through the mediating variable of academic perfectionism. The findings suggest that the relationship between self-esteem and life satisfaction in sport sciences students is complex and mediated by academic perfectionism. While self-esteem generally contributes positively to life satisfaction, its influence becomes problematic when channeled through academic perfectionism, which may contribute to a negative impact on overall life satisfaction. This suggests that high self-esteem may lead to perfectionist tendencies in academic settings, which may paradoxically reduce students’ satisfaction with life. The findings suggest the potential importance of addressing perfectionist behaviors in sport sciences education to enhance student well-being.