The multiple mediating effects of perfectionism, social anxiety, and rumination on the relationship between narcissism and obsession

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of perfectionism, social anxiety, and rumination on narcissism and obsessions. The study sample consisted of 398 participants between the ages of 18 and 65. The study assessed the participants’ social anxiety, rumination, perfectionism, narcis-sism, and obsession levels using a Demographic Information Form, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ), Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), and Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI). The Demographic Information Form includes questions about age, gender, education level, marital status, occupational status, and socioeconomic level, providing a comprehensive view of the par-ticipants' backgrounds. According to the results of the correlation analysis, significant relationships exist among most variables in the study. When additionally looking at the regression analysis re-sults, it is noteworthy that social anxiety, rumination, perfectionism, and narcissism predicted 46% of the variance in the obsession score, underscoring the intricate interplay of these psychological factors. Finally, according to the serial multi-mediation analysis, perfectionism, social anxiety, and rumination were found to have a full mediating effect on the relationship between narcissism and obsessive features. The findings obtained in the study were evaluated by considering the information in the literature. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.