Predicting academic procrastination based on early maladaptive schemas mediated by cognitive flexibility and metacognitive beliefs

According to research findings, one of the effective cognitive factors in the formation and continuation of academic procrastination is their initial maladaptive schemas. Another group of studies supports the role of metacognitive beliefs and cognitive flexibility in reducing academic procrastination. In this regard, the present study was conducted to evaluate the structural model of academic procrastination based on early maladaptive schemas and to investigate the mediating effects of cognitive flexibility and metacognitive beliefs.

The participants of this study were 294 students in Tehran who were selected by available sampling method through cyberspace. Data were collected using Academic Procrastination Questionnaire (APS), Young's Early maladaptive Schema Short Form, Cognitive Flexibility (CFI) and Wells Metacognitive Beliefs, and analyzed using SPSS and PLS software.

The findings of the study showed a significant relationship between the total score of academic procrastination and early maladaptive schemas, components of cognitive flexibility and some components of metacognitive beliefs. The results of structural equation modeling and path analysis showed that early maladaptive schemas directly and indirectly affect academic procrastination due to metacognitive beliefs, but this path was not affected by the cognitive flexibility variable.

The structural model of academic procrastination based on early maladaptive schemas mediated by cognitive flexibility and metacognitive beliefs has a good fit.Keywords: academic procrastination, early maladaptive schemas, cognitive flexibility, metacognitive beliefs