Procrastinators and perfect behavior: An exploratory factor analysis of self-presentation, self-awareness, and self-handicapping components.

Abstract College students (204 women, 103 men) completed a set of inventories on procrastination, perfectionism, self-presentation, self-awareness, and self-handicapping. Separate exploratory factor analyses with oblique (promax) rotations were performed for procrastinators (n = 168) and nonprocrastinators (n = 139), yielding two-factor solutions. For procrastinators, Factor 1 loadings were social anxiety, acquisitive and protective self-presentations, perfectionism, and self-handicapping, while Factor 2 loadings included private and public self-consciousness. For nonprocrastinators, Factor 1 loadings were public and private self-consciousness, self-handicapping, and social anxiety, and Factor 2 contained acquisitive self-presentation and perfectionism. Results suggest that perfect behavior for procrastinators may be a strategic act of self-presentation aimed at “getting along” with others, but for nonprocrastinators it is a striving for excellance motivated by “getting ahead” of others.

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