The effect of self-forgiveness on academic procrastination in first-year junior high school students: the roles of state anxiety and state hope

BACKGROUND: Academic procrastination is a common self-regulatory challenge among adolescents. Identifying effective intervention strategies has become a pressing societal concern. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic relationship between self-forgiveness and academic procrastination among first-year junior high school students, and test the parallel mediating roles of state anxiety and state hope. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional (N = 395) and a three-wave longitudinal design (N = 306), participants completed the State Self-Forgiveness Scale, the Aitken Procrastination Inventory (Middle School Version), the State Anxiety Subscale of the STAI, and the State Hope Scale. Data analysis was conducted using the PROCESS macro for cross-sectional mediation analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for longitudinal mediation analysis. RESULTS: Cross-sectional findings revealed that state anxiety and state hope operated as parallel mediators in the relationship between self-forgiveness and academic procrastination. A three-wave longitudinal study further validated this emotional mechanism. Self-forgiveness measured one week before midterm exams significantly predicted emotional states assessed after grade feedback, which in turn predicted academic procrastination measured one week before final exams. Self-forgiveness influenced subsequent procrastination behavior through two emotional pathways: reducing state anxiety and enhancing state hope. CONCLUSION: By identifying the dual-channel emotional mechanism through which self-forgiveness affects academic procrastination both immediately and over time, this study provides empirical evidence for understanding emotion regulation in adolescent procrastination and offers practical insights for developing self-regulation-based interventions targeting junior high school students.