Investigating the structural model of procrastination based on transdiagnostic factors

Leili Jamil; Ahmad Ashouri; Somayeh Zamirinejad; Behzad Mahaki

doi:10.47176/mjiri.35.120

Investigating the structural model of procrastination based on transdiagnostic factors

Med J Islam Repub Iran. 2021 Sep 20:35:120. doi: 10.47176/mjiri.35.120. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Leili Jamil¹, Ahmad Ashouri², Somayeh Zamirinejad^{2

3}, Behzad Mahaki^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Psychology, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ International Campus, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
⁵ Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Procrastination is a common and widespread phenomenon that affects 15-20% of the general population and 50% of students. Since developing and providing beneficial and effective interventions for procrastination needs a strong, comprehensive theoretical background explanation, the aim of the study was to assess the underlying transdiagnostic factors of procrastination and presenting a causal model. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 390 college students were asked to fill out a packet of self-report measures, which included the Pure procrastination scale, Difficulties in emotion regulation scale, Depression-anxiety-stress scales, Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale, Rumination response scale, Penn state worry questionnaire, Acceptance and action questionnaire. The causal model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Results of the SEM indicate that perfectionism was significantly associated with increasing emotion dysregulation (β=0.446, P<0.001) and emotion dysregulation was significantly associated with increasing anxiety (β=0.499, P<0.001) and depression (β=0.478, P<0.001), and then anxiety and depression with other variables, such as worry (β=0.245, P<0.001; β=0.004, P=0.935), rumination (β=0.046, P=0.424; β=0.418, P<0.001) and experiential avoidance (β=0.277, P<0.001; β=0.319, P<0.001) related to procrastination. Finally, worry has the most significant increasing effect on procrastination. The very small root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA=0.038), together with large values of comparative fit index (CFI=0.985), relative fit index (RFI=0.917), and normed fit index (NFI=0.979) indicated that the model was well fit. Conclusion: Perfectionism, emotion dysregulation, negative affects, worry, rumination, and experiential avoidance, known as transdiagnostic factors, had a causal relationship with procrastination, and reducing each transdiagnostic factor will improve procrastination. This study could be considered as a cornerstone for further studies on procrastination from a transdiagnostic approach.

Keywords: Emotion Dysregulation; Procrastination; Structural Equation Modeling; Transdiagnostic Factors.