Background and Purpose
Physical activity is widely regarded as a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, contributing significantly to both physical and psychological well-being. However, when pursued to excess, this beneficial activity can evolve into a maladaptive pattern known as exercise addiction, characterized by compulsive and obsessive engagement in physical training despite adverse consequences. This complex behavioral addiction poses serious risks to athletes' physical health, psychological state, and social functioning. Female athletes, in particular, represent a vulnerable population due to the unique interplay of social pressures concerning body image and performance expectations. Understanding the psychological mechanisms that underpin exercise addiction in this demographic is, therefore, both a scientific necessity and a practical imperative within sports psychology. The present study aimed to investigate a structural model of sports addiction based on cognitive distortions and self-perception, with competitive anxiety as a mediator, among female athletes in Qom Province, Iran.
Cognitive distortions, defined as systematic and maladaptive patterns of thinking that negatively skew reality, represent a key psychological variable implicated in addictive behaviors. Rooted in Beck's cognitive theory, these distortions—such as all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophizing, and mind-reading—can foster and sustain emotional and behavioral disorders. Emerging research in sports suggests that athletes with higher levels of cognitive distortions are more prone to obsessive and addictive behavioral patterns. For instance, Deperrois et al. (2024) indicated that cognitive distortions may serve as a defense mechanism to avoid negative emotions, potentially driving individuals toward addictive behaviors like excessive exercise. However, the literature presents inconsistent findings; some studies report a direct significant relationship, while others highlight the role of mediating variables, underscoring the need to examine this relationship within a more complex framework.
Self-perception, encompassing the beliefs, attitudes, and evaluations an individual holds about themselves, constitutes another critical factor. According to social cognitive theory, self-perception plays a determinative role in motivation, goal-setting, and behavior. A positive and integrated self-perception can serve as a source of resilience, whereas a negative and fragile self-perception may predispose individuals to seek immediate, often unhealthy, solutions to compensate for perceived inadequacy. In the sports context, athletes with poor self-perception may become dependent on exercise as their primary source of identity and self-worth, leading to addictive patterns. Nonetheless, the direct link between self-perception and exercise addiction remains unclear, suggesting the involvement of mediating emotional mechanisms.
Competitive anxiety, conceptualized as an emotional and physiological response to competitive situations, is posited as a pivotal mediating variable in this relationship. On one hand, cognitive distortions—such as catastrophic predictions of failure—can significantly elevate levels of competitive anxiety. On the other hand, a negative self-perception may lead athletes to underestimate their ability to cope with competitive pressures, resulting in heightened anxiety. This intense anxiety can, in turn, activate maladaptive coping strategies. Aligned with the self-medication model of behavioral addictions, individuals may engage in specific behaviors—in this case, exercise—to alleviate or escape from unpleasant emotional states such as anxiety. Thus, a female athlete experiencing cognitive distortions and negative self-perception may suffer from debilitating competitive anxiety and resort to excessive exercise for temporary relief, control, or validation, potentially culminating in exercise addiction. While some studies have examined pairwise relationships between these variables, a significant gap exists in the literature regarding a comprehensive structural model that elucidates the simultaneous interaction of cognitive distortions and self-perception, through the pathway of competitive anxiety, on exercise addiction—particularly within the specific cultural context of Iranian female athletes.
 
Methods
This applied research employed a descriptive-correlational design based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of all female athletes residing in Qom Province who regularly attended sports clubs at least three times per week. Using the Cochran formula with a margin of error of 0.05, an initial sample size of 245 was calculated. After accounting for attrition and applying inclusion criteria, the final sample comprised 207 female athletes, selected via convenience sampling. Participants were required to score above 25 on the Exercise Addiction Inventory, provide informed consent, complete all questionnaires in full, and have a minimum of two years of continuous athletic training.
Data were collected using four standardized instruments. The Exercise Addiction Inventory (EAI; Szabo, 2019) consists of 12 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale and demonstrated excellent reliability in this study (Cronbach's α = 0.911). The Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale (ICDS; Hamamcı & Büyüköztürk, 2005), comprising 19 items across three subscales, showed acceptable reliability (α = 0.758). The Self-Perception Scale (SPS; Cesh, 2000) was used, combining the self-esteem and self-acceptance subscales (40 items), which yielded a reliability of α = 0.610. Finally, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2; Domínguez-González et al., 2024), containing 17 items measuring cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence, demonstrated good reliability (α = 0.719). The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Qom (Code: IR.QOM.REC.1402.098). Following coordination with sports club officials, participants completed the questionnaire package in a quiet setting. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-24 and Smart-PLS 3 software. Given the non-normal distribution of the data, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized model, examining direct and indirect effects via a bootstrapping procedure with 5000 samples.
 
Results
Initial analyses confirmed the reliability and validity of the measurement model. All constructs exhibited composite reliability (CR) above 0.7 and average variance extracted (AVE) above 0.5, establishing convergent validity. Assessment of the structural model yielded several key findings. Path analysis for direct effects indicated that self-perception had a significant negative impact on competitive anxiety (β = -0.401, t =6.082, p<0.001). Competitive anxiety, in turn, had a significant positive effect on exercise addiction (β=0.317, t=3.227, p= 0.001). Furthermore, cognitive distortions significantly and positively influenced competitive anxiety (β = 0.157, t = 2.159,
p = 0.031). However, the direct paths from self-perception to exercise addiction (β = 0.073,
t = 0.448, p = 0.654) and from cognitive distortions to exercise addiction (β = 0.058, t = 0.434,
p = 0.664) were not statistically significant.
Analysis of indirect effects, crucial for testing mediation, revealed that competitive anxiety fully mediated the relationship between self-perception and exercise addiction (β = -0.127, t = 2.744, p = 0.006). This suggests that a negative self-perception increases competitive anxiety, which subsequently elevates the risk of exercise addiction. Conversely, the indirect effect of cognitive distortions on exercise addiction through competitive anxiety was not significant (β = 0.050,
t = 1.765, p = 0.078), indicating that competitive anxiety does not mediate this particular relationship. The overall model fit was adequate (GOF = 0.32), and predictive relevance was acceptable (Q² > 0).
 
Discussion
The findings of this study elucidate the complex interplay between cognitive factors, emotional arousal, and behavioral addiction in female athletes. The confirmed mediating role of competitive anxiety in the relationship between self-perception and exercise addiction represents a pivotal result. This finding aligns with the self-medication hypothesis, suggesting that female athletes with negative self-perception experience elevated anxiety in competitive settings. To manage this aversive state, they may engage in compulsive exercise, which can be temporarily anxiolytic, thereby reinforcing the behavior and potentially leading to addiction. This pathway is consistent with the findings of Gan et al. (2024), who emphasized the central role of anxiety in shaping maladaptive athletic behaviors.
The non-significant direct and indirect pathways from cognitive distortions to exercise addiction reveal a noteworthy finding that contrasts with some previous research, such as that of Su Topbaş et al. (2024). This discrepancy may be attributed to several factors specific to the sample and context. The unique socio-cultural environment of Qom Province, potentially characterized by strong familial and community support networks, might buffer the negative impact of cognitive distortions on addictive behaviors. Furthermore, the athletes in this study may possess more effective coping skills, allowing them to circumvent addictive patterns despite negative thought patterns. Another explanation is that cognitive distortions may influence exercise addiction through other, unexamined mediators—such as perfectionism or body image dissatisfaction—rather than directly or exclusively through competitive anxiety.
The significant positive relationship between cognitive distortions and competitive anxiety corroborates the work of Zhang et al. (2024). This finding underscores how maladaptive thought patterns, such as catastrophizing about performance, can distort an athlete's appraisal of competitive situations, thereby triggering heightened anxiety responses. The direct link between competitive anxiety and exercise addiction further supports existing literature, including the longitudinal observations of Kovácsik et al. (2021), confirming anxiety as a potent precursor to excessive exercise patterns.
From a practical standpoint, these results highlight critical leverage points for psychological intervention. Coaches and sports psychologists should prioritize interventions aimed at fostering a positive and resilient self-perception in female athletes. Concurrently, implementing cognitive-behavioral techniques to manage competitive anxiety and to identify and restructure core cognitive distortions is essential. Programs that build these psychological skills could prove highly effective in preventing the development of exercise addiction.
 
Conclusion
This study demonstrates that the relationship between self-perception and exercise addiction in female athletes is fully mediated by competitive anxiety. While cognitive distortions contribute to increased competitive anxiety, they do not directly or indirectly (via this anxiety) lead to exercise addiction within this model. The findings underscore that exercise addiction is not merely a function of behavior but is deeply embedded in a complex interplay of cognitive and affective processes. The core practical implication is that interventions focused on building positive self-perception and managing competitive anxiety should form the cornerstone of prevention and treatment programs for exercise addiction in female athletes. Future research should explore these relationships using longitudinal designs and investigate the role of other potential mediators and moderators, such as social support, motivational climate, and personality traits, to develop a more comprehensive etiological model.
 
 
Article Message
This study demonstrates that competitive anxiety fully mediates the relationship between self-perception and exercise addiction in female athletes. While cognitive distortions contribute to increased anxiety, they do not directly lead to exercise addiction. The findings highlight that the pathway to addiction is primarily affective-emotional rather than purely cognitive. Therefore, interventions focusing on building positive self-perception and managing competitive anxiety should be prioritized over solely targeting cognitive distortions. Psychological programs incorporating cognitive-behavioral therapy and resilience training can effectively disrupt this pathological pathway, fostering healthier athletic engagement and preventing exercise addiction among female athletes.
Ethical Considerations
This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration. The research protocol received approval from the Ethics Committee of the University of Qom, with the ethical code IR.QOM.REC.1402.098. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants involved in the study. They were assured of the confidentiality of their data and their right to withdraw from the research at any stage without any consequences. To protect participants' anonymity, all identifying information was removed from the collected data.
Authors' Contributions
Conceptualization: Dr. Mahdi Fahimi, Dr. Reza Hashemi Mad, Ms. Shaghayegh Nazari
Data Collection: Ms. Shaghayegh Nazari
Data Analysis: Ms. Shaghayegh Nazari, Dr. Reza Hashemi Mad
Manuscript Writing: Ms. Shaghayegh Nazari
Review and Editing: Dr. Mahdi Fahimi, Dr. Reza Hashemi Mad
Responsible for Funding: Dr. Mahdi Fahimi
Literature Review: Ms. Shaghayegh Nazari
Project Management: Dr. Reza Hashemi Mad
Additional Contributions: All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict of Interest
The authors hereby declare that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication. There have been no financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of this work. This research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. All authors have confirmed the absence of any competing interests that might have influenced the research process, data analysis, or interpretation of findings presented in this manuscript.
 
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the female athletes from Qom Province who generously participated in this study. We also extend our appreciation to the managers and staff of the sports clubs who facilitated the data collection process. We are also grateful to our colleagues who provided insightful feedback during the preparation of this manuscript. This research would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of all these individuals.