Relationship between procrastination, time management, personality, and psychological distress in higher education

Procrastination is increasingly recognised as a significant factor influencing academic performance among university students. The objective of this study was to analyse the procrastination behaviours of a convenience sample of 910 university students from the 2018 to 2020 academic cohorts and to investigate the relationships between procrastination and students' sociodemographic and personality traits, academic time management practices, psychological distress, and academic performance. An exploratory, non-experimental, prospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted. Instruments used included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS), the Academic Time Management scale (ATM), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results identified two key dimensions contributing to procrastination: inadequate planning, poor academic performance, and insufficient monitoring of academic progress, as well as higher levels of irresponsibility, emotional exhaustion, and neuroticism. 61% of the variance in procrastination is explained by the variables considered, with significant influence from poor planning and neuroticism. The findings underscore the importance of targeted interventions aimed at reducing procrastination in university settings, emphasising time management and psychological well-being.