Structural Model of Adolescent Narcissism Based on Perfectionism: Mediating Role of Alexithymia

The researches focused on exploring the relationship between personality and its influence on psychological disorders, revealing that diverse personality traits are linked to various types of psychological disturbances, with perfectionism being one of these personality traits. Consequently, the primary objective of this research was to investigate the structural model of adolescent narcissism, using perfectionism as a predictor, and considering the mediating role of alexithymia.

The research approach adopted was descriptive, correlational, and specifically focused on structural equation modeling. The research sample encompassed all high school students within the city of Shiraz, Iran, during the year 2021. A total of 512 students were included in the study, selected through a multi-stage cluster random sampling procedure, and they provided responses to questionnaires measuring narcissism, alexithymia, and perfectionism.

The findings of the study revealed significant and positive associations between perfectionism and alexithymia with narcissism. Moreover, perfectionism was found to be positively and significantly associated with alexithymia. In summary, perfectionism can be seen as an indirect and significant predictor of narcissism, mediated through alexithymia. Ultimately, these research outcomes underscore the substantial role of perfectionism in predicting narcissistic tendencies among adolescents, both directly and indirectly through the lens of alexithymia.

These insights can serve as a valuable resource for psychologists and counselors working with adolescents.