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Volume 19, Issue 1 (2026)
J Med Edu Dev 2026, 19(1): 97-104 |
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Ethics code: IR.ZUMS.REC.1397.278
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Tirgari Seraji H, Rasouli A, Ramzi F, Saed O. Predictors of academic procrastination in Iran: distinguishing between problematic use, intensity, and procrastinatory use of social media. , J Med Edu Dev. 2026; 19 (1) :97-104
URL: http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-2589-en.html
URL: http://edujournal.zums.ac.ir/article-1-2589-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
4- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran ,o.saed@zums.ac.ir
2- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
4- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran ,
Abstract: (1188 Views)
Background & Objectives: Academic procrastination is a common self-control failure among university students. It is increasingly affected by digital behaviors. With the rise of social media, there is a growing need to tell apart different forms of online engagement. This study aimed to look at the predictive roles of problematic social media use, intensity of social media use, and social media-related procrastination on academic procrastination among Iranian university students.
Materials & Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit a sample of 665 undergraduate students. Participants completed a series of previously validated instruments, including the Procrastination Assessment Scale–Students (PASS), the Problematic Social Media Use Scale, the Intensity of Social Media Use Scale, and the Social Media-Related Procrastination Scale. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to look at the associations between the variables.
Results: The multiple regression model was statistically significant, F (3, 661) = 30.736, p < 0.001, and explained 12.2% of the variance in academic procrastination (R² = 0.122). Social media-related procrastination (β = 0.269, p < 0.001) and intensity of social media use (β = 0.098, p = 0.027) were significant positive predictors. However, problematic social media use was not a significant predictor (β = 0.036, p = 0.485). Multicollinearity diagnostics and assumption checks confirmed the robustness of the model.
Conclusion: Social media-related procrastination and the intensity of use are key behavioral predictors of academic procrastination, while problematic social media use, despite its conceptual relevance, did not independently predict procrastination in this sample. These findings highlight the importance of targeting specific maladaptive behaviors, particularly task-avoidant use of social media—in interventions aimed at improving academic self-control.
Materials & Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit a sample of 665 undergraduate students. Participants completed a series of previously validated instruments, including the Procrastination Assessment Scale–Students (PASS), the Problematic Social Media Use Scale, the Intensity of Social Media Use Scale, and the Social Media-Related Procrastination Scale. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression to look at the associations between the variables.
Results: The multiple regression model was statistically significant, F (3, 661) = 30.736, p < 0.001, and explained 12.2% of the variance in academic procrastination (R² = 0.122). Social media-related procrastination (β = 0.269, p < 0.001) and intensity of social media use (β = 0.098, p = 0.027) were significant positive predictors. However, problematic social media use was not a significant predictor (β = 0.036, p = 0.485). Multicollinearity diagnostics and assumption checks confirmed the robustness of the model.
Conclusion: Social media-related procrastination and the intensity of use are key behavioral predictors of academic procrastination, while problematic social media use, despite its conceptual relevance, did not independently predict procrastination in this sample. These findings highlight the importance of targeting specific maladaptive behaviors, particularly task-avoidant use of social media—in interventions aimed at improving academic self-control.
Keywords: academic procrastination, social media, digital distraction, self-regulation, medical education
Editorial: Brief Report |
Subject:
Medical Education
Received: 2025/09/13 | Accepted: 2025/12/3 | Published: 2026/01/1
Received: 2025/09/13 | Accepted: 2025/12/3 | Published: 2026/01/1
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