Examining the Relationship of Perfectionism and Academic Procrastination with Social Anxiety among University Students
Keywords:
Perfectionism, Academic Procrastination, Social Anxiety, University Students, Social Interaction AnxietyAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationships of perfectionism and academic procrastination with social anxiety and to determine the predictive contribution of these variables to social anxiety among university students.
Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of male and female university students studying in Tehran during the 2025-2026 academic year. Initially, 380 students were recruited through convenience sampling, and after excluding 18 incomplete questionnaires, data from 362 participants were included in the final analysis. Data were collected using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students developed by Solomon and Rothblum, and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale developed by Mattick and Clarke. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine bivariate relationships, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the simultaneous predictive contribution of perfectionism and academic procrastination to social anxiety. Statistical significance was set at 0.05.
Findings: Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between perfectionism and academic procrastination (r = 0.41, p < 0.01). Perfectionism was also positively and significantly associated with social anxiety (r = 0.48, p < 0.01), and academic procrastination was positively and significantly related to social anxiety (r = 0.53, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that perfectionism and academic procrastination jointly explained 36% of the variance in social anxiety (R = 0.60, R² = 0.36, F(2,359) = 100.94, p < 0.001). Both perfectionism (β = 0.29, p < 0.001) and academic procrastination (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) significantly and positively predicted social anxiety.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that higher levels of perfectionism and academic procrastination are associated with greater social anxiety among university students, with academic procrastination showing the stronger predictive contribution. Accordingly, interventions targeting maladaptive perfectionistic standards, self-critical tendencies, and procrastinatory behaviors may be useful for reducing social anxiety in university settings.
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