The relationship between perfectionism and career decision-making difficulties in college students: a chain mediation model based on core self-evaluations and psychological resilience

AI Summary

Perfectionism, both positive and negative, is associated with increased career decision-making difficulties in college students, both directly and indirectly.
The primary mediating mechanism is core self-evaluations, exhibiting a stronger indirect effect than psychological resilience for both perfectionism types.
The chain pathway via core self-evaluations and psychological resilience exceeded resilience alone, but findings are correlational due to the cross-sectional design.

AI Summary

Negative perfectionism also is associated with career decision-making difficulties through core self-evaluations and psychological resilience, with the indirect path through core self-evaluations again showing the strongest statistical association.

Basic summary

Front Psychol. 2026 Jun 9;17:1824328. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1824328. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In recent years, career decision-making difficulties among college students have drawn increasing attention, significantly relating to their mental health and personal development.

METHOD: This study surveyed 1,000 college students through a convenience sampling procedure using an online questionnaire. A chain mediation model was developed and validated by using standardized scales to measure perfectionism, core self-evaluation, psychological resilience and career decision-making difficulty.

RESULT: The findings demonstrated that positive perfectionism is connected to career decision-making difficulties in college students through core self-evaluations and psychological resilience, and the indirect path through core self-evaluations was more prominent than the path through psychological resilience and the chain path through core self-evaluations and psychological resilience. Negative perfectionism also is associated with career decision-making difficulties through core self-evaluations and psychological resilience, with the indirect path through core self-evaluations again showing the strongest statistical association. In addition, the chain path through core self-evaluations and psychological resilience was stronger than the path through psychological resilience alone.

CONCLUSION: Overall, perfectionism may be associated with career decision-making difficulties in college students, both directly and indirectly, and it could be linked to these difficulties through its associations with core self-evaluations and psychological resilience. These results should be viewed as statistical correlations rather than causal evidence because of the cross-sectional approach.

PMID:42344980 | PMC:PMC13287068 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1824328

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