Explaining why some students procrastinate successfully: Adaptive perfectionism and psychological capital as predictors

Despite contrary observations in traditional literature, many students who procrastinate do so successfully – they are active and effective delayers in handling their own academic deadlines. Some research studies have supported a distinction between active (adaptive) and passive (traditional,dysfunctional) procrastination and found active procrastinators to be effective in time management and outcomes (cf., Chu & Choi, 2005). One recent study has examined the relationship between perfectionism, self-efficacy and academic procrastination but there are no studies examining psychological capital and its four component parts in relation to perfectionism and procrastination. We set out to examine this relationship and to differentiate outcomes (active vs passive procrastination) on the basis of the perfectionistic emphases (‘adaptive’ or ‘maladaptive’) and psychological capital as a whole - which involved four components- self-efficacy, resilience, optimism and hope. The current study employed the Luthans et al. (2007) Modified Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ: PsyCap). Would the total PsyCap as well as its four domains mediate the relationship between adaptive perfectionism and academic procrastination?.