Relationship Between Procrastination and Stress Responses

Procrastination is a maladaptive behavior that leads to failure of tasks, and a decrease in self-esteem and negative emotions; this behavior, however, becomes a habit. If procrastination becomes a habit, it will have a negative impact on your body and mind. Previous studies have divided participants by gender, age, etc., and relationships between procrastination and stress have been examined. However, a general relationship between procrastination and stress has not been clarified. This study examined the relationship between procrastination and stress through a questionnaire survey.

This study also examined the effects of passive or active procrastination on stress responses through a survey on active procrastination tendency. In addition, surveys were conducted on Japanese and Chinese people, and their answers were analyzed and compared between them. Hypotheses in this study are as follows: there are relationships between the participants’ general procrastination tendency and stress responses (Hypothesis 1); participants with higher general procrastination tendency show higher stress responses than those with higher active procrastination tendency (Hypothesis 2). There are differences in relationships between procrastination tendencies and stress responses between Japanese and Chinese participants (Hypothesis 3). The results of the analysis have been discussed based on differences in cultural and social backgrounds.

These results showed a positive correlation between general procrastination and stress response in both Japanese and Chinese populations. Active procrastination was found to be positively correlated with stress response in Japanese and negatively correlated in Chinese.

The results suggest that the relationship between procrastination and stress response is influenced by the subject's cultural background.