THE CORRELATION BETWEEN PROCRASTINATION AND IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS IN STUDENTS

Abstract

Procrastination is a key challenge for modern students facing high cognitive load, rapid learning pace, and intense competition. Under stress and information overload, students struggle with time management, resulting in task postponement, distraction, and low self-regulation. This problem stems from internal cognitive mechanisms, specifically irrational beliefs – dysfunctional thinking patterns described in A. Ellis's rational-emotive-behavioral therapy (REBT). Beliefs like excessive perfectionism, fear of mistakes, or dependency on others' approval create destructive patterns. They provoke task avoidance, emotional tension, and academic stress, forming psychological barriers that reduce motivation and self-organization. Thus, procrastination is a behavioral consequence of maladaptive cognitive templates rooted in self-criticism and low frustration tolerance. The study aimed to determine the relationship between academic procrastination and irrational beliefs among students. It was hypothesized that higher scores on Ellis’s irrational thinking scale would correlate with higher procrastination levels, assessed via J. Lay’s methodology, validating the cognitive-emotional nature of task avoidance. The research utilized psychometric instruments, including A. Ellis’s questionnaire of irrational attitudes and a methodology examining students' cognitive-behavioral procrastination characteristics. Data processing involved Spearman’s correlation analysis, a technique suitable for samples without normal distribution constraints, which identified statistically significant associations between cognitive errors and procrastination. The results provide a framework for developing targeted psychological interventions to prevent academic procrastination. These programs should focus on cognitive restructuring, enhancing self-acceptance, building stress resilience, and developing effective self-motivation. The findings support integrating CBT and REBT principles into educational psychology to strengthen student support and safeguard mental well-being.