Investigation of university students' academic procrastination tendencies in terms of family climate and cognitive flexibility

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which university students' academic procrastination behaviors are predicted by family climate, cognitive flexibility, and sociodemographic variables (gender and field of study). The research was conducted using a relational screening model. The sample consisted of 263 students from various faculties and departments at Hasan Kalyoncu University, of whom 107 were female (40.7%) and 156 were male (59.3%). To collect data, a Personal Information Form was administered alongside the Academic Procrastination Scale to measure procrastination levels, the Family Climate Scale—with subdimensions of family relationality, cognitive cohesion, and intergenerational authority—to assess family climate, and the Cognitive Flexibility Scale to evaluate cognitive flexibility. Standard multiple regression analysis was applied to determine each variable's predictive power for academic procrastination. Results indicated that gender had no significant effect on academic procrastination. Likewise, neither the total score on the Family Climate Scale nor scores on the Cognitive Flexibility Scale significantly predicted procrastination. Among the sociodemographic variables, when the numerical field was used as the reference category, students in the verbal field exhibited statistically significantly higher levels of academic procrastination. This relationship was significant at a low level and in an inverse direction. The study underscores the potential importance of incorporating family-supported counseling services and cognitive flexibility training programs into interventions aimed at reducing academic procrastination.