Procrastination and the five-factor model: a facet level analysis

Procrastination has been viewed both as a single trait dimension and as a c omplex trait composed of several component antecedents. The aim of this stu dy was to investigate some of the antecedents of procrastination (fear of f ailure, aversiveness of task, risk taking, rebellion against control, depen dency, and difficulty making decisions) in terms of the five factors of per sonality (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Openness and Conscienti ousness). The participants consisted of 349 university students who complet ed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Procrastination Assessment Scale for students. Total procrastination was related to both the low cons cientiousness facets (competence, order, dutifulness, achievement striving, self-discipline, deliberation) and the neuroticism facets (anxiety, depres sion, self-consciousness, impulsiveness, vulnerability). When the procrasti nation antecedents were considered, task aversiveness had a strong relation ship to both low conscientiousness and neuroticism. Fear of failure, diffic ulty making decisions, and dependency had a smaller relationship to several of the conscientiousness and neuroticism facets. In addition, risk-taking was negatively related to agreeableness and the fantasy facet of openness t o experience was related to total procrastination. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scienc e Ltd. All rights reserved.