Investigating the interaction effects of academic procrastination and psychological flexibility on happiness.

Academic procrastination at university has long been an issue investigated by researchers due to its importance both for students’ well-being and for their success in future careers. Despite this research, neither a unified theory of the exact cause, nor a widely accepted intervention method have been proposed. One proposed intervention concerns psychological flexibility from the third-wave behavioural approach, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The current study considered the effects that procrastination and psychological flexibility can have on happiness. In this regard it was the first study to consider this relationship. University students (N = 110) completed self-report measures of happiness, procrastination and psychological flexibility. A moderation analysis was then carried out on this cross-sectional data to assess psychological flexibility as a potential moderator in the relationship between procrastination and happiness. A significant strong inverse correlation was found between procrastination and psychological flexibility. It was also found that at high levels of psychological flexibility, those who procrastinated were experiencing very low levels of happiness. As such, a threshold effect in this relationship is suggested; those who are highly psychologically flexible can persevere with task completion at low levels of happiness. At very low levels of happiness, only then will they engage in procrastination. Further research into this moderation relationship, specifically with a longitudinal design, is recommended.