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Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010) 2121–2125

The explanation of the academic procrastination behaviour of

university students with perfectionism, obsessive – compulsive and
five factor personality traits
Mücahit Ka÷ana *, Osman ÇakÕrb, Tahsin ølhan , Mehmet Kandemirb C

a
Ankara Üniversitesi, E÷itim Bilimleri Fakültesi, Ankara, 06590, Türkiye
b
Gazi Üniversitesi, Gazi E÷itim Fakültesi, Ankara, 06590, Türkiye
c
Gaziosmanpaúa Üniversitesi. E÷itim fakültesi, Tokat, 60150, Türkiye

Received October 16, 2009; revised December 25, 2009; accepted January 8, 2010

Abstract

The procrastination behaviour which is known as delaying the responsible behaviours that individuals have to carry out has many
different dimensions. One of them is adjourning to take into action for academic tasks which are subjectively important to
perform or it is the academic procrastination which can be defined as the habit of adjourning and which is very common among
students. Due to the procrastination behaviour of students, they cannot use their actual performances in learning process and
therefore fail. The understanding of the procrastination behaviours of students affecting their learning process facilitates their
skills to cope with academic procrastination behaviour. In this context, academic procrastination is considered to be associated
with perfectionism, obsessive – compulsive and five factor personal traits and the academic procrastination behaviours will be
tried to be explained in the present research. The research group was comprised of 265 students from different universities,
departments and classes. In the present research, in order to determine the tendency to academic procrastination of the students,
the “Aitken Academic Procrastination Scale” developed by Aitken (1982) and adapted into Turkish by BalkÕs (2007); in order to
determine their tendency to perfectionism, “Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale” developed by Frost, Marten, Lahart and
Rosenblate (1990) and adapted into Turkish by Özbay and MÕsÕrlÕ – Taúdemir (2003); in order to determine their obsessive –
compulsive personal traits, the “Padua Inventory” developed by Sanavio (1988) and adapted into Turkish by Beúiro÷lu (2005);
and in order to determine the five factor personal traits of the students, “Five Factor Model Personality Scale” developed by
BacanlÕ, ølhan and Arslan (2007) were used. The data collected in the present research will be tested using the path model. As a
result of the analysis, it was determined that perfectionism, obsessive- compulsive and five factor personality traits are important
variables that explain the academic procrastination behaviour.
© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Keywords: Academic procrastination; perfectionism; obsessive-compulsive; five factor personality.

1. Introduction

Every person procrastinates in carrying out some of the responsibilities and tasks in their life. Some delay
payments or appointments while some others delay housework, assignments, homework or preparing for
examinations. Such procrastinated behaviors affect the individuals in such ways as restless nights, high level of

* Mücahit Ka÷an. Tel.: 05057700036

E-mail address: mkagan24@gmail.com

1877-0428 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.292
2122 Mücahit Kağan et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010) 2121–2125

stress, regret, and panic, withdrawal due to the lack of time or unsatisfactory fulfillment. Then people promise
themselves not to delay things until the last minute but it happens again. The term “procrastination” corresponds to
“delaying things until the last minute”, “the concept of rush hour”, “delaying” and “postponing” in Turkish culture
and affects many aspects of our lives in a negative way. The concept of procrastination, though having a long
history, has been detailed in academic studies only for the last 15-20 years (Milgram et al, 1998). Characterized with
insufficient behaviors making decision in one or more areas, identifying priorities, programming and adhering to the
program and defined as a way of life which is source of anxiety (Milgram 1991), the behavior of procrastination
affects individuals in differing ways in various areas of life. In researches carried out so far, 4 different types of
postponing thinks were defined. These are academic procrastination (Milgram et al 1998) known as delaying
academic duties (assignment) up to the last minute, daily postponing committed in daily jobs known as having
difficulty in programming repeated life tasks and completing them on time (Lay, 1986; Milgram, 1991; Milgram et
al 1998), postponing decision-making (Janis and Mann, 1977: Gülba÷layan, 2003), and compelling or nonfunctional
postponing behavior known as delaying of both decision-making and fulfilling tasks (Ellis and Knaus, 1977). An
examination of scientific studies regarding procrastination demonstrates that the number of studies regarding
academic procrastination is higher than those in connection with other dimensions. ( 615) Solomon and Rothblum
(1984) describe the tendency of academic procrastination as completing homework, preparing for examinations or
term papers at the last minute. There are many reasons underlying the behavior of procrastination negatively
affecting university life like all other areas of our lives. According to the studies regarding tendency to
procrastination, the reasons were listed as poor time management skills, self-efficacy beliefs, discomfort regarding
tasks, personal characteristics (responsibility, perfectionism, and neurotic tendency, etc), irrational thoughts,
inability to concentrate, fear of failure, inability to orient objectives of success, lowered self-respect, anxiety,
external controlledness, problem-solving skills, unrealistic expectations, and working habits (Alexander and
Onwuegbuzie, 2007; Aydo÷an, 2008; BalkÕs, 2006; ÇakÕcÕ, 2003; Ferrari et al 2007; Howell and Watson, 2007;
Pfeister, 2002; Senecal et al 2003; Watson, 2001). University life is an outstanding period of development when
basic knowledge and attitudes regarding a profession are acquired, and essential achievements regarding personal
characteristics and psycho-social normality are expected to be developed and performed at maturity level at the
same time as in abstract not clear, I tried to rewrite but I am not sure what the writer means. Academic educational
activities refer to intensive activities requiring regular study habits on the basis of the curriculum which includes
elements such as exams, assignments, homework, presentations and practical work (pasted from page 1) To
successfully manage these activities, individuals are supposed to be aware of their responsibilities and make the
necessary effort without postponing. For individuals to be able to cope with academic procrastination and be aware
of academic responsibilities and make an endeavour to this end, the factors affecting academic procrastination need
to be explored within the concept of causality. Among them are the personal traits such as responsibility,
extroversion, perfectionism and obsession. However, there is no study on how these personal traits in total explain
academic procrastination. The present research aimed at testing to which degree the academic procrastination
behaviour of university students can be explained by perfectionism, obsessive – compulsive and five factor personal
traits.

2. Method

2.1. Research Group

In order to test the related model aimed at explaining the academic procrastination behaviour of university
students with perfectionism, obsessive – compulsive and five factor personal traits, 265 students from different
universities, departments and classes were chosen and the research group was established.

2.2. Data Collection Tools

In the present research, in order to determine the students’ tendency to academic procrastination, the “Aitken
Academic Procrastination Scale” developed by Aitken and adapted into Turkish by BalkÕs; in order to determine
their tendency to perfectionism, “Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale” developed by Frost, Marten, Lahart and
Rosenblate (1990) and adapted into Turkish by Özbay and MÕsÕrlÕ - Taúdemir; in order to determine their obsessive
– compulsive personal traits, the “Padua Inventory” developed by Sanavio and adapted into Turkish by Beúiro÷lu;
 Mücahit Kağan et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010) 2121–2125 2123

and in order to determine the five factor personal traits of the students, the “Five Factor Model Personality Scale”
developed by BacanlÕ, ølhan and Arslan were used.

3. Findings and Comments

The findings and comments of the analysis which was performed in order to test the related model aimed at
explaining the academic procrastination behaviour of university students with perfectionism, obsessive –
compulsive and five factor personal traits were given place in this part.

Table 1: Inter-correlation Coefficients of the Variables Shown in the Model

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1. Academic Procrastination 1
2. Extroversion -,293** 1
3. Responsibility -,406** ,584** 1
4. Order -,282** ,319** ,489** 1
5. Criticizing Family ,254** -,077 -,080 -,130* 1
6. Contemplation ,160* -,103 ,018 ,008 ,369** 1
7. Tendency to Control -,010 ,060 ,246** ,261** ,281** ,593** 1

N= 265, **p< ..001, *p .05

When Table 1 is analysed, it is seen that Academic procrastination is significantly associated with extroversion,
responsibility, personal traits and “order” sub-dimension of perfectionism in a negative way. When literature is
examined, it is seen that the results obtained in the present research are supported. (McCown, Petzel, and Rupert.,
1987; Ferrari, 1992; Martin et al., 1996; Lay, Kovacs and Danto, 1998; Lee et al., 2006 ; Johnson and Bloom, 1995;
Moon and Illingworth, 2005; Watson, 2001) On the other hand, it is seen that academic procrastination is
significantly associated with “criticizing one’s family” sub-dimension of perfectionism and the “contemplation”
sub-dimension of obsessivity in a positive way. No statistically significant relationship was found between the
“tendency to control” sub-dimension of obsessivity and academic procrastination. In the conceptual model which
was suggested in order to explain academic procrastination behaviour, personal traits (extroversion and
responsibility), perfectionism (order and criticizing one’s family) and obsessive thought (contemplation and
controlling) are exogen variables. In order to test the suggested conceptual model, a path analysis was performed
and the data related to the coefficients of concordance of the model are given in Table 2.

Table 2: The coefficients of Concordance of the Final Model

Chi-Square/Freedom Degree (X2 /sd) 1.11

Square root of the Estimation Error Average of Squares (RMSEA) .021
Normified Fit Index (NFI) .98
Comparative Fit Index (CFI) 1.00
Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) .99
Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI) .97

It is seen that the obtained coefficients of concordance related to the final model are above the accepted level.
That Chi-Square result is 0-5, RMSEA is below .05, NFI, CFI, GFI and AGFI are above .90 shows that the model
fits at a high level. The finding related to the direct, indirect and total effects of the independent variables in the
model on academic procrastination behaviour are given below.
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Figure 2: Final Model

The two sub-dimensions (order and criticizing one’s family) of extroversion and perfectionism which are the
personal traits suggested in the conceptual model did not predict academic procrastination in a statistically
significant way. When literature is analyzed, it is seen that this result obtained in the present research is not
supported. As a result of the present research, while it is seen that there is a statistically significant relationship
between extroversion, one’s critical perceiving his family and academic procrastination, when these two variables
enter in the model, the result of the research can be interpreted as that other variables contributed the model more.
The strongest predictors of academic procrastination are the responsibility from personal traits (ȕ= -.32) and the
contemplation which is the sub-dimension of obsessive thought (ȕ= .18). It is seen that this result obtained between
 Mücahit Kağan et al. / Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010) 2121–2125 2125

responsibility and academic procrastination is supported by literature (Johnson and Bloom, 1995; Lee et al., 2006).
No result was obtained in the present research, which supports or does not support the result that the contemplation
obsession trait predicts academic procrastination. The result can be interpreted as one’s always lost in thought
obstruct him to deal with his academic tasks and therefore he procrastinate his tasks.

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