Perfectionism in High School Students: A Moderated Mediation Model of Self-Criticism, Attachment, Mental Health and Academic Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v6i4.462Keywords:
Academic Performance, High School Students, Mental Health, Parental Attachment, Self-criticism, Self-oriented PerfectionismAbstract
Self-oriented perfectionism is commonly encouraged in academic settings, yet in some situations, it may become maladaptive under certain psychological and relational conditions. This study examined a conditional process model in which mental health problems mediated the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and academic performance among high school students. Self-criticism was tested as a risk-enhancing moderator, whereas parental trust and communication were examined as a protective buffer. In this study, data was collected from 274 high school students (Male=128, Female=146; Mage=15.94, SD=1.01) using standardized measures of self-oriented perfectionism, self-criticism, mental health problems, parental trust, communication, and academic performance. Moderated mediation analyses using PROCESS Model 29 revealed that perfectionism was associated with higher mental health problems at elevated levels of self-criticism. Mental health problems were, in turn, related to poorer academic performance. Parental trust and communication attenuated the negative association between mental health problems and academic performance, and communication also moderated the direct effect of perfectionism on academic outcomes. Conditional indirect effects supported a significant moderated mediation, highlighting the protective role of parental attachment in buffering academic risks linked to maladaptive perfectionism in adolescence.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Nazia Zafar, Romaisa Shahid, Momina Khushnood
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