The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem in the Relationship Between Big Five Personality Traits and Creative Thinking Among University Students: The Moderating Effect of Gender

This study examined the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between Big Five personality traits and creative thinking, with gender as a moderator in the Iranian cultural context. Participants were ۳۷۸ undergraduate students (۱۸۹ women, ۱۸۹ men) from Islamic Azad University, Tehran Central Branch, selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. They completed the NEO-FFI, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis. The proposed model demonstrated good fit, explaining ۴۸% of the variance in creative thinking. Openness to experience was the strongest positive predictor (β = ۰.۲۹, p < .۰۰۱), while neuroticism negatively predicted creativity (β = -۰.۲۱, p < .۰۰۱). Self-esteem partially mediated the personality-creativity relationship (indirect effect = ۰.۲۰, p < .۰۰۱), accounting for approximately one-third of the total effect. Gender significantly moderated all structural paths. The pathways involving self-esteem (personality → self-esteem and self-esteem → creativity) were significantly stronger for women, whereas the direct path from personality to creativity was stronger for men. These findings suggest that self-esteem serves as a critical mechanism linking personality to creativity, particularly for women in cultural contexts with traditional gender norms. The study contributes to understanding creativity as a culturally-embedded phenomenon and highlights the need for gender-sensitive interventions targeting self-esteem enhancement to foster creative potential in female university students.

کلیدواژه ها:

Creative Thinking ، Big Five Personality ، Self-Esteem ، Gender Differences ، University Students ، SEM.