Prediction Model of Creativity Based on Kernberg's Personality Organization in Students with Narcissistic Tendencies: The Mediating Role of Personal Goal Pursuit

Creativity is one of the key characteristics in personal and social development that can be influenced by various psychological factors. Among these, individuals’ personality and its organization can have a significant impact on their creative abilities. There are different models to analyze these relationships, one of which is Kernberg’s personality organization model. Therefore, this study examines how creativity can be predicted in students with narcissistic tendencies based on Kernberg’s personality organization and the mediating role of personal goals. The present study is descriptive-correlational in nature and based on structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study consisted of all students studying at the Islamic Azad University, Qom Branch, in the academic year 2022–2023, totaling 8,164 students. The sampling method was convenience sampling. The sample size was estimated at 375 individuals, with an expected attrition resulting in 360 participants. The research instruments included the Torrance Creativity Questionnaire (1979), the Narcissistic Personality Inventory by Ames et al. (2006), Kernberg’s Personality Organization Inventory (2002), and the Personal Goals Questionnaire by Cox and Klinger (2003). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Amos version 24 software. The results showed that the structural model of creativity in students with narcissistic tendencies based on Kernberg’s personality organization and the mediation of personal goals had a good fit. The findings also confirmed the significance of the mediating variable at the 95% confidence level. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of understanding the type of personal goals and personality organization in determining creativity among students with narcissistic tendencies.