The Relationship Between Procrastination and Perfectionism

Abstract

Procrastination involves purposefully delaying tasks, often choosing less important activities and avoiding planned actions despite knowing the possible negative consequences. Factors such as low motivation, fear of failure, and difficulties in managing time contribute to this behaviour. Procrastinators often experience heightened stress as deadlines approach, resulting in rushed work and diminished quality. While common among humans, overcoming procrastination entails enhancing time management skills and addressing underlying psychological challenges. The present study was done to study the relationship between Procrastination and Perfectionism in student population. For this purpose, 110 men and women between the ages of 18 to 30 were taken from urban areas of Delhi NCR, India. Procrastination Scale by Lay (1986) and Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale were employed as tools to collect data and these questionnaires were given to participants, and they were asked to fill them honesty. The results depicted that individuals with higher levels of perfectionism are more prone to procrastination, as the fear of not meeting their high standards may lead to avoidance of tasks.