Resilience and psychological health : the role of procrastination

LITERATURE REVIEW This review explores the literature on resilience and the known relationships between resilience and health. The influence of the resilience mechanisms of explanatory style, coping style and cognitive hardiness in prediction of stress and psychological health are examined. Consideration is also given to the interaction of these resilience mechanisms with each other. The importance of successful negotiation of adversity in the development of resilient personalities is emphasised in the literature. It is argued that procrastination is an important element to consider in discussions of resilience, given that it is closely associated with avoidance of, or delay in, dealing with such adversity. Literature reporting the role of procrastination in relation to the above resilience mechanisms is then examined. Recent research suggesting a mediating role for stress in the relationship between procrastination and health is discussed, in relation to interactions between procrastination and resilience / vulnerability factors. Finally, directions for future research are considered. EMPIRICAL REPORT Pathways of relationships between resilience, procrastination and health were considered. 181 psychology students completed the Life Orientation Test ‚ÄövÑvÆ Revised, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations and the Cognitive Hardiness Scale as well as the General Procrastination Scale, Adult Inventory of Procrastination and the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students. Psychological health was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale and General Health Questionnaire. Factor analysis of coping style, explanatory style, cognitive hardiness and procrastination variables yielded five distinct factors, Academic Procrastination, Avoidance, Emotion Orientation, General Procrastination and Task Orientation. Direct and indirect effects of these factors on psychological distress were found on all but the Avoidance factor. Indirect effects were mediated by perceived stress. The Emotion Orientation factor was seen to produce the strongest effect on both perceived stress and psychological distress. Perceived stress was found to mediate the relationship between procrastination and psychological distress, which supports the findings of Sirois, Melia-Gordon and Pychyl (2003). In addition, a small but significant positive effect of general procrastination on psychological distress was found. Possible explanations for this are discussed. Differences emerged in the effects of positive and negative items on the Cognitive Hardiness Scale, adding to previous suggestions that the two tap different constructs.