Fear of Failure as Motivation: A New Perspective on Fear of Failure, Achievement and Psychological Adjustment

Abstract

Fear of failure is described by performers as a motivating or handicapping factor. These two ways of approaching fear of failure could explain the inconsistent results of studies looking at fear of failure in domains of achievement. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to propose a novel conceptualization of the fear of failure as a motivational mental representation that mobilizes efforts toward accomplishment and a better psychological adjustment. Study 1 had two objectives. First, I wanted to develop a new measure that captures the motivating aspect of fear of failure. Second, I validated this new measure with university students and athletes. Study 2 relied on a dual-domain framework (i.e., school and sports) that investigates the relationship between the perception of fear of failure as motivation and indicators of achievement by controlling for fear of failure. This cross-sectional study attempted to evaluate intra-domain effects (e.g., perception of fear of failure in sports is related to goal progress in sports) and inter-domain effects. Finally, Study 3, used a daily-diary design that gathered multiple accounts of student-athletes' fear of failure as motivation, goal progress, satisfaction, anxiety, and depression to investigate the association between fear of failure as motivation, achievement and, psychological adjustment at both the between and the within-person levels. More precisely, I wanted to investigate if student-athletes were able to progress more on their goals and were more satisfied if they were generally able to perceive fear of failure as a source of motivation (i.e., between-person level). Also, I aimed to evaluate what happens to goal progress, satisfaction, and mental health on the days a student-athlete is more motivated by fear of failure than their usual (within-person level), but has a high level of fear of failure in general (cross-level interaction). Understanding why some individuals succeed despite their fear of failure is essential for deepening our understanding of how this emotion can operate in adaptive ways. The findings from this dissertation suggest that when fear of failure is represented in a motivational way, as captured by the FOFAMS, it is associated with greater goal progress, satisfaction, and psychological adjustment, as well as weaker associations with emotional distress. These correlational links indicate that perceiving fear of failure as a source of motivation may be functionally distinct from perceiving it as a paralyzing threat. While the present studies do not establish causality, they open avenues for reflection on how practitioners, teachers, and coaches might help students and athletes reframe their fear of failure in more constructive ways. Future research using experimental or longitudinal designs will be needed to test whether such reframing can indeed foster adaptive functioning and achievement.