The Mediating Role of Academic Procrastination in the Structural Relations between Perfectionism Dimensions and Academic Burnout

Academic burnout is a substantial barrier that impedes students from developing their capabilities and talents in the academic setting. Numerous factors can contribute to the formation and persistence of academic burnout; one of them is perfectionism. It is noteworthy that perfectionism itself has adaptive and maladaptive dimensions. These dimensions seem to have different correlations with academic burnout, both directly and indirectly. One of the potential mediating factors in the relationship between perfectionism and academic burnout may be academic procrastination. The present investigation examined the mediating role of academic procrastination in the relationship between perfectionism and academic burnout.

The present study is methodologically descriptive-correlational. Furthermore, it is a fundamental study based on the purposes. A final sample of 375 students was selected from the University of Tabriz. Research instruments included the Revised Almost Perfect Scale (APS-R), Academic Procrastination Scale-Students (PASS), and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Besides, descriptive and inferential statistics (SEM structural equation modeling) were used to analyze the data.

The findings of this study showed that adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism could predict the changes in academic burnout through the mediation role of academic procrastination. In a way, maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism had respectively positive and negative indirect relationships with academic burnout through academic procrastination. However, there is a smaller correlation between adaptive perfectionism and academic burnout than maladaptive perfectionism.

The present study results can have practical implications in treating and improving burnout in students.