RESEARCH PAPER
True to the self or stuck in delay? Authenticity moderates the associations between perfectionism and procrastination
1
Department of Psychology, Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, Kielce, Poland
Submission date: 2026-04-26
Final revision date: 2026-08-26
Acceptance date: 2026-09-17
Online publication date: 2026-11-12
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Perfectionism has long been linked to procrastination, yet findings remain mixed, suggesting that high standards may facilitate or hinder action depending on whether they are accompanied by self-critical concerns. Authenticity may be related to how discrepancies between standards and performance are construed. The present study examined whether authenticity moderates the associations of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism with procrastination and whether maladaptive perfectionism shows a necessary-condition pattern.
Participants and procedure:
The sample consisted of 300 adults who completed an anonymous online survey. Perfectionism was assessed using the Polish Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism Questionnaire, procrastination with the Pure Procrastination Scale, and authenticity with the Authenticity Inventory-3, operationalized as a global manifest score. Data were analyzed using multiple regression models and necessary condition analysis (NCA).
Results:
Maladaptive perfectionism was positively associated with procrastination, whereas adaptive perfectionism was negatively associated. NCA yielded moderate but symmetric necessity and sufficiency effects, which did not support a genuine necessary condition. Authenticity moderated both relationships: at higher authenticity, the positive association of maladaptive perfectionism with procrastination was weaker, whereas the negative association of adaptive perfectionism was stronger.
Conclusions:
Maladaptive perfectionism was positively associated with procrastination, whereas adaptive perfectionism was inversely associated with it. The strength of these associations varied with authenticity, although the moderation effects were modest. This pattern is consistent with the discrepancy-processing account. The symmetric NCA pattern indicated a constrained distribution rather than a genuine necessary condition.
Perfectionism has long been linked to procrastination, yet findings remain mixed, suggesting that high standards may facilitate or hinder action depending on whether they are accompanied by self-critical concerns. Authenticity may be related to how discrepancies between standards and performance are construed. The present study examined whether authenticity moderates the associations of adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism with procrastination and whether maladaptive perfectionism shows a necessary-condition pattern.
Participants and procedure:
The sample consisted of 300 adults who completed an anonymous online survey. Perfectionism was assessed using the Polish Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism Questionnaire, procrastination with the Pure Procrastination Scale, and authenticity with the Authenticity Inventory-3, operationalized as a global manifest score. Data were analyzed using multiple regression models and necessary condition analysis (NCA).
Results:
Maladaptive perfectionism was positively associated with procrastination, whereas adaptive perfectionism was negatively associated. NCA yielded moderate but symmetric necessity and sufficiency effects, which did not support a genuine necessary condition. Authenticity moderated both relationships: at higher authenticity, the positive association of maladaptive perfectionism with procrastination was weaker, whereas the negative association of adaptive perfectionism was stronger.
Conclusions:
Maladaptive perfectionism was positively associated with procrastination, whereas adaptive perfectionism was inversely associated with it. The strength of these associations varied with authenticity, although the moderation effects were modest. This pattern is consistent with the discrepancy-processing account. The symmetric NCA pattern indicated a constrained distribution rather than a genuine necessary condition.
REFERENCES (30)
1.
Borawski, D. (2021). Authenticity and rumination mediate the relationship between loneliness and well-being. Current Psychology, 40, 4663–4672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144....
2.
Borawski, D., Rozpara, B., & Ginalska, K. (2026). When time matters: The moderating role of time perspectives in the relationship between neuroticism and procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 253, 113618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid....
3.
Dul, J. (2016). Necessary condition analysis (NCA): Logic and methodology of “necessary but not sufficient” causality. Organizational Research Methods, 19, 10–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/109442....
4.
Franzese, A. T. (2010). Do individual differences in authenticity influence the magnitude and affective consequences of self-discrepancies? (Doctoral dissertation). Duke University. Retrieved from https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu....
5.
Frost, R. O., Marten, P., Lahart, C., & Rosenblate, R. (1990). The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 449–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF0117....
6.
Hewitt, P. L., & Genest, M. (1990). The ideal self: Schematic processing of perfectionistic content in dysphoric university students. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 802–808. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3....
7.
Jastrzębski, J., Karaś, D., Skurka, M., & Szewczyk, Z. (2025). Polish adaptation of the Authenticity Scale: Psychometric parameters. Social Indicators Research, 177, 253–271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205....
8.
Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: Theory and research. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 38, pp. 283–357). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-....
9.
Kutnik, J. (2014). Autentyczność – psychologiczna analiza zjawiska na podstawie teorii egzystencjalnej [Authenticity – psychological analysis on the basis of existential theory] (Unpublished Master’s thesis). Catholic University of Lublin.
10.
Lakey, C. E., Kernis, M. H., Heppner, W. L., & Lance, C. E. (2008). Individual differences in authenticity and mindfulness as predictors of verbal defensiveness. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 230–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.....
11.
Li, Q., Ren, X., Zhou, Z., & Wang, J. (2023). Reciprocal relationships between self-control and self-authenticity: a two-wave study. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1207230. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.....
12.
Moore, E., Holding, A. C., Hope, N. H., Harvey, B., Powers, T. A., Zuroff, D., & Koestner, R. (2018). Perfectionism and the pursuit of personal goals: a self-determination theory analysis. Motivation and Emotion, 42, 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031....
13.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9....
14.
Przepiórka, A., Błachnio, A., Cudo, A., Siu, N. Y. F., & Lam, Z. V. (2026). The role of perfectionism, procrastination, and self-discipline in depression. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 14, 10–18. https://doi.org/10.5114/cipp/2....
15.
Puchalska-Wasyl, M. M. (2022). Internal dialogues and authenticity: How do they predict well-being? Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 35, 1328–1346. https://doi.org/10.1080/107205....
16.
Ryan, W. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2019). Toward a social psychology of authenticity: Exploring within-person variation in autonomy, congruence, and genuineness using self-determination theory. Review of General Psychology, 23, 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr000....
17.
Sedikides, C., & Schlegel, R. J. (2024). Distilling the concept of authenticity. Nature Reviews Psychology, 3, 509–523. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159....
18.
Sheldon, K. M. (2014). Becoming oneself: The central role of self-concordant goal selection. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 18, 349–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/108886....
19.
Sirois, F., & Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short‐term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7, 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.1....
20.
Sirois, F. M. (2014). Procrastination and stress: Exploring the role of self-compassion. Self and Identity, 13, 128–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/152988....
21.
Sirois, F. M., Molnar, D. S., & Hirsch, J. K. (2017). A meta‐analytic and conceptual update on the associations between procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism. European Journal of Personality, 31, 137–159. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.20....
22.
Sorjonen, K., & Melin, B. (2022). An extended version of necessary condition analysis (NCA) allows more specific conclusions: an example involving well-being and resilience. BMC Psychiatry, 22, 121. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888....
23.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: a meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2....
24.
Steel, P. (2010). Arousal, avoidant and decisional procrastinators: Do they exist? Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 926–934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid....
25.
Stępień, M., & Topolewska, E. (2014). Style tożsamości w ujęciu Berzonsky’ego a prokrastynacja [Identity styles in the view of Berzonsky and procrastination]. In E. Topolewska, E. Skimina, & S. Skrzek (Eds.), Młoda psychologia [Young psychology] (Vol. 2., pp. 145–160). Wydawnictwo Stowarzyszenia Filomatów.
26.
Stoeber, J., & Otto, K. (2006). Positive conceptions of perfectionism: Approaches, evidence, challenges. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10, 295–319. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327....
27.
Szczucka, K. (2010). The Polish Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism Questionnaire. Psychologia Spoleczna, 5, 71–95.
28.
Wood, A. M., Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Baliousis, M., & Joseph, S. (2008). The authentic personality: a theoretical and empirical conceptualization and the development of the Authenticity Scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 55, 385–399. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0....
29.
Xie, Y., Yang, J., & Chen, F. (2018). Procrastination and multidimensional perfectionism: a meta-analysis of main, mediating, and moderating effects. Social Behavior and Personality, 46, 395–408. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.66....
30.
Yosopov, L., Saklofske, D. H., Smith, M. M., Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2024). Failure sensitivity in perfectionism and procrastination: Fear of failure and overgeneralization of failure as mediators of traits and cognitions. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 42, 705–724. https://doi.org/10.1177/073428....
Copyright: © Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk This is an Open Access journal, all articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2353-561X |
| ISSN: | 2353-4192 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
