How Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism Affect Psychological Well-Being among University Students: The Mediating Role of Procrastination

Abstract

The principal purpose of the present study is to investigate the mediating role of general and academic procrastination in the relationship between adaptive/maladaptive perfectionism and psychological well-being among university students. The sample comprises 335 undergraduate students, selected through a convenient sampling method. The instruments utilized to gather data included the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, General Procrastination Inventory, Aitken Academic Procrastination Inventory, and Psychological Well-Being Scale. In order to test the hypotheses put forward in the research, two separate parallel mediation analyses were performed. The results revealed that general procrastination fully mediated the relationship between adaptive perfectionism and psychological well-being. Furthermore, general procrastination has a partial mediating effect in the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and psychological well-being. The mediating role of academic procrastination was not statistically significant in the mediation model for both dimensions of perfectionism. The results also provide robust evidence to confirm the assumption that adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism are distinct constructs and that these constructs affect psychological outcomes differently. The implications for counselors and mental health professionals, as well as future research directions, are discussed in light of the existing literature and the limitations of the study. Recommendations are then made.