Relationship between Perfectionism and Academic Procrastination in Universi-ty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37226/rcp.v9i1.8081Keywords:
academic procrastination, adaptive perfectionism, maladaptive perfectionism, university studentsAbstract
Given its association with various psychological problems, there is growing interest in finding models that explain the link between perfectionism and procrastination, especially in the educational field. This correlational study investigated whether there is a significant relationship between perfectionism and academic procrastination, and whether there are differences between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists in terms of academic procrastination. 116 university students in the Dominican Republic responded to the APS-R and EPA scales. Pearson's analysis found significant correlations between perfectionism (high standards, order, and perception of discrepancy) and academic procrastination (activity postponement and academic self-regulation). The Mann-Whitney U test found a significant difference in activity postponement and a non-significant difference in academic self-regulation, between the adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists. The results suggest that the perception of discrepancy seems to be the factor that explains this difference between the groups. It is inferred that organized students with high standards seem to self-regulate more and tend to procrastinate less, while students with a high perception of discrepancy feel incapable of achieving their standards or dissatisfied with their performance and tend to procrastinate more. The findings justify the implementation of psychoeducational strategies in programs that seek to promote academic success in university students.
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