The Procrastinating Perfectionist: Examining Task Self-Efficacy & Procrastination Types on Life Task Performance

Perfectionism is a personality trait that can manifest either adaptively or maladaptively, typically developing during childhood and adolescence. Less research has examined perfectionistic adjustment issues in adulthood compared to childhood and adolescence. Research indicates that adult perfectionists tend to procrastinate on tasks related to academia and job settings. However, little is known about passive and active procrastination types among adult perfectionists when completing life tasks. Since self-efficacy can produce motivation, adult perfectionists may be more or less likely to procrastinate based on how they perceive their capabilities. This study examined how perfectionism types (maladaptive, adaptive, non-perfectionist) impacted life task performance based on task self-efficacy and procrastination types (passive or active). One hundred seventy participants were recruited via purposeful sampling. Participants completed the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R), the Task Self-Efficacy Scale, the Active Procrastination Scale (APS), and the Perceived Life Task Performance Scale. One-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. These findings showed that adult adaptive perfectionists had higher life task performance than maladaptive and non-perfectionists. They also showed that passive and active procrastination were not associated with these differences in life task performance between perfectionism types. Moreover, task self-efficacy did not predict life task performance for adult perfectionists. These outcomes can enhance psychological theories and outpatient psychotherapy by providing knowledge for psychotherapists to treat perfectionists as they navigate adult life adjustments effectively.