Abstract
Conroy develops the PFAI — multidimensional appraisals of what failure would mean — linking fear-of-failure constructs to performance avoidance.
Conroy, D. E. (2001). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 23(3), 290–305. DOI
Start here
Read Visceral fear of falling — PFAI separates what failure would mean from body-first crash stories.
Key findings
- Multidimensional fear — Failure dread is not one feeling — shame, embarrassment, and important-others-losing-interest components differ.
- Appraisal specificity — Each subscale predicts avoidance patterns — generic “I’m afraid to fail” hides the active channel.
- Performance avoidance link — Higher fear-of-failure appraisals predict reduced approach in evaluative contexts — mechanism before moral label.
- Measurement spine — PFAI gives vocabulary for coaching questions — not a verdict instrument without context.
Limits
Sport and exercise psychology sample — validate transfer before HR or sales room diagnosis. Self-report — pair with observable move design, not only introspection.
When to open this
Open when Visceral fear of falling separates body-first crash story from listable risk — name which failure appraisal is running.
Try this week: complete the sentence “If I fail here, it means ___” — tag shame, embarrassment, or others’ interest before negotiating the next rep.