نوع مقاله : پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• زهرا امان الهی ¹
• سمیرا هاشمی ²
• فهیمه شاداب مهر ³
• مریم آقایی ⁴

¹ استادیار گروه مشاوره، دانشکده علوم تربیتی و روانشناسی، دانشگاه الزهرا، تهران، ایران

² استادیار گروه آموزش روانشناسی و مشاوره، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، تهران،ایران

³ دکتری مشاوره، گروه مشاوره، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی(ره)، تهران، ایران.

⁴ دانشکده‌ی مشاوره، دانشکده‌ی علوم تربیتی و روان‌شناسی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران

چکیده

هدف: مطالعه حاضر با هدف طراحی الگوی مفهومی کمال گرایی در دختران نوجوان تیزهوش و کمال گرا برای ایجاد فهمی عمیق تر از این پدیده انجام گرفت. روش:روش پژوهش بصورت کیفی بود و داده ها ازطریق نظریه داده بنیاد با استفاده از مصاحبه های نیمه ساختاریافته از نمونه های پژوهش جمع آوری شد. جامعۀ پژوهش دانش آموزان مدارس تیزهوشان در مقطع متوسطه بود که داده ها از طریق نمونه گیری هدفمند گردآوری شد و تعداد آن 13 نفر بود. تحلیل داده ها با روش کدگذاری استرواس و کوربین صورت گرفت. یافته ها:طی کدگذاری ها، مقوله هسته ای تحت عنوان کلی «تلاش برای کسب خودارزشمندی و انطباق با هویت مبتنی بر توانمندی برتر شناختی» انتخاب شد. «ویژگیهای فردی، انتظارات خانوادگی، عوامل اجتماعی، و ساختار آموزشی» بعنوان عوامل علّی کمالگرایی، «فرهنگ ارزش گذاری بر موفقیت و فضای مجازی» بعنوان عوامل زمینه ساز، «مهارت های مقابله ای و حمایت خانواده» بعنوان عوامل مداخله گر، دو راهبرد «پیشرفت محور، و اجتنابی حافظت محور» بعنوان راهبردهای متاثر از کمالگرایی، و فهرستی از «پیامدهای مثبت و منفی» کمالگرایی نوجوانان تیزهوش در الگو استخراج شدند. نتیجه گیری: طبق یافته های این پژوهش، دانش آموزان تیزهوش، به خاطر توانمندی های ذهنی شان، تحت انتظارات خاص و بالایی قرار دارند، به همین دلیل کمال گرایی آنها می تواند در کنار رشد و پیشرفت تحصیلی، منجر به آسیب های روانشناختی متعددی شود. ازین رو نیاز است خانواده ها و مدارسی که با این دانش آموزان در تعامل اند، به اصلاح شیوه ها و استانداردهای تربیتی و آموزشی خود اهتمام ورزند.

کلیدواژه‌ها

• الگوی مفهومی
• کمال گرایی
• دختران نوجوان
• تیزهوش

موضوعات

• روانشناسی

عنوان مقاله [English]

Designing A Conceptual Model of Perfectionism in Gifted Adolescent Girls: A Qualitative Study

نویسندگان [English]

• zahra amanollahi ¹
• samira hashemi ²
• fahimeh shadabmehr ³
• maryam aghaee ⁴

¹ Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

² Assistant Professor ,Department of Psychology and Counselling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

³ Ph.D. of Counseling, Department of Counseling, Allameh Tabataba`i University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Allameh tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran

چکیده [English]

Introduction

Adolescence is recognized as one of the most critical stages of human development, marking the transition from childhood to adulthood and accompanied by extensive changes in cognitive, emotional, social, and physiological domains. These transformations subject adolescents to new identity and psychological challenges, playing a decisive role in shaping their future trajectories.

Among the psychological constructs frequently observed during adolescence, perfectionism is a prominent phenomenon. Perfectionism is defined as an individual’s tendency to strive for flawlessness and set performance standards that exceed realistic capacities, often accompanied by rigid self evaluations and persistent self criticism. This disposition is both internally and externally reinforced by unrealistic standards, placing an individual under constant pressure to achieve optimal results and to be regarded as the best.

Gifted adolescents, by virtue of their advanced cognitive abilities and high expectations from families, schools, and society, encounter perfectionism with greater intensity and complexity than their peers. This amplified exposure renders them more susceptible to the multidimensional consequences of the construct. Within this context, the current study focuses specifically on gifted adolescent girls exhibiting perfectionistic tendencies, aiming to explore their lived experiences. Such a qualitative investigation was intended to reveal nuanced and previously underexplored aspects of perfectionism, forming the basis for developing a culturally and contextually grounded conceptual model tailored to this population. The central research question was: How do gifted, perfectionist adolescent girls experience perfectionism, and what is the structure and nature of the conceptual model derived from these experiences?



Methodology

This research was fundamental in its purpose and sought to generate theory rather than test an existing one. To secure accurate and deeply contextualized local insights for model construction, a qualitative approach was adopted, with the analysis framed through grounded theory methodology.

Participants were intentionally selected from perfectionist gifted adolescent girls studying in secondary schools for the gifted in the cities of Tehran and Karaj during the academic year 1403 (2024–2025). Purposeful sampling relied on specific inclusion criteria:

1. Age range between 13 and 18 years.

2. Enrollment in designated gifted schools.

3. A score above the mean on the Hewitt and Flett (1991) Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS).

4. Voluntary willingness to participate.

5. Provision of informed consent, availability of sufficient time, and willingness to engage actively in interviews.

Sampling began purposively and then proceeded as theoretical sampling until theoretical saturation was reached — the point at which no new categories or codes emerged from the data. Ultimately, 13 participants were included.

Data collection involved administering the Hewitt and Flett Perfectionism Questionnaire alongside conducting semi structured interviews. Following verbatim transcription of interviews, data analysis was executed using Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory coding procedures (open, axial, and selective coding). This process yielded the core category and supported development of an integrated conceptual model.



Findings

The core category emerging from the analysis was: “Striving for self worth and alignment with an identity based on cognitive ability.” This phenomenon operates within a dynamic, multi level cycle integrating contextual, causal, intervening, strategic, and consequential factors.

1. Causal Factors

Four primary categories were identified: individual, familial, social, and educational.

Individual characteristics included a strong drive to excel universally, hypersensitivity to imperfection, outcome oriented obsession, need for total control, and pursuit of ideal results in minimal time.

Familial influences involved elevated parental expectations, particularly in families equating academic success with personal worth, alongside persistent comparison with peers and desire for praise and external approval.

Social elements were characterized by comparative peer dynamics.

Educational features encompassed competitive school environments, frequent examinations, ranking systems, grade sensitivity, preparation for major competitive tests (such as university entrance exams), and using performance metrics as indicators of superiority. These reinforced and perpetuated perfectionism.

2. Contextual Factors

Two categories shaped the direction and form of perfectionistic efforts via cultural and media influences.

Broader cultural expectations linked personal value to demonstrable external achievements.

Social media served dual roles: motivating self improvement and fostering continuous comparison, frustration, and feelings of inadequacy.

Intervening Factors

Elements moderating or intensifying the causal/contextual forces were found in:

Family support, involving positive reinforcement and encouragement throughout the learning process.

Coping skills: Adolescents with effective stress management strategies and acceptance of failure as part of growth could redirect maladaptive perfectionism toward an adaptive orientation.

3. Strategies

Two primary strategic categories emerged as responses under the above conditions:

Achievement oriented strategies: Properly harnessed, these fostered enhanced performance, continual learning, and self efficacy.

Avoidance/Protection oriented strategies: Driven largely by fear of failure and diminished self worth; these provoked inefficiency, mental exhaustion, procrastination, and disengagement.

4. Consequences

Positive outcomes included short term academic success, attainment of competitive positions, bolstered self confidence and self efficacy, and reinforced motivation through repeated goal achievement.

Negative outcomes encompassed dependency on external validation, relentless elevation of standards, chronic psychological strain, severe anxiety, self blame, feelings of worthlessness, depression, sadness, mental fatigue, and procrastination.



Conclusion

The integrated model demonstrates that perfectionism in gifted adolescents exists not as a fixed personality trait but as a social cognitive construct rooted deeply in social, cultural, familial, and educational contexts. The theoretical implications emphasize the convergence of three overarching systems:

1. Cultural–Media System: Links self worth to quantifiable, external achievements, especially for those with high intelligence and advanced cognitive skills.

2. Family–Individual System: High parental expectations tied to the adolescent’s exceptional abilities nurture an internalized self critical observer.

3. Competitive Educational System: Examination driven structures and ranking metrics bind the adolescent’s identity and sense of accomplishment to academic performance.

These systems jointly activate psychological mechanisms sustaining perfectionism, reinforcing the adolescent’s drive to attain self worth through alignment of personal identity with gifted cognitive competence — primarily via academic achievement. Within this framework, self worth formation occurs through social comparison, external acknowledgment, top scores, and prestigious academic placements, rather than through self acceptance or intrinsic personal growth. Given this interplay, gifted students inevitably face heightened expectations from internal and external sources. While such pressures can yield academic enhancement, they also carry significant risks of psychological harm. The study thus recommends that families and schools reconsider educational and developmental expectations placed upon gifted students.Education systems adopt holistic perspectives, valuing multi dimensional personal growth beyond cognitive achievement. High stakes examination cultures (e.g., national university entrance tests) temper excessive grade focused pressures to mitigate perfectionism’s destructive outcomes. Development of tailored educational and support frameworks for gifted adolescents is urged. Given the qualitative design and exclusive focus on adolescent girls, the transferability of findings to other populations remains limited, warranting broader studies across genders and contexts.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

• Adolescent Girls
• Gifted
• Conceptual Model
• Perfectionism