The Relationship Between Procrastination and Mental Health

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Description

Many college students experience procrastination at some point during their academic career. The present study sought to investigate the correlation between procrastination in college students and their reported levels of various negative mental health emotions, including anxiety, perceived stress, and depression. Whether or not a participant was considered a procrastinator was determined based on whether the participant completed the survey during the first five weeks of the semester or the last five weeks of the semester. Participants that completed the survey during the first five weeks were deemed non-procrastinators, while participants in the last five weeks were deemed procrastinators. This assumption was supported by participants’ averaged scores on questions in a procrastination scale. Statistical analysis revealed that participants who completed the survey in the first five weeks of the semester reported a statistically significant lower average procrastination score than participants in the last five weeks. Using the average procrastination score for each participant, correlation analyses demonstrated a weak, positive correlation between procrastination score and reported anxiety scores. Additionally, analyses demonstrated a moderate, positive correlation between procrastination score and perceived stress as well as depression scores. While these analyses cannot demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between procrastination and mental health, they do demonstrate that, as procrastination increases, so does reported negative mental health. Therefore, the findings of this research may be important for a college student to considering when deciding whether or not to procrastinate.

Advisor

Dr. Danielle Geerling, Psychology

Publication Date

2023

Keywords

psychology, procrastination

The Relationship Between Procrastination and Mental Health
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