Mediating role of Academic Procrastination and Authoritarian Parenting Style and Academic Stress among Students

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the mediating role of academic procrastination in the relationship between parenting styles and academic stress among students. Previous research has shown that parenting styles significantly affect students’ academic outcomes (Pinquart, 2020). Specifically, authoritarian parenting—characterized by rigid rules and high demands has been linked to increased academic stress (González, 2022). Moreover, students raised in authoritarian environments often struggle with self-regulation and time management, leading to higher levels of procrastination (Sanchez, 2024), which can further intensify academic stress as deadlines approach (Law, 2023). The hypothesis proposed that academic procrastination mediates the relationship between authoritarian parenting and academic stress. A total of 210 students (53 males, 157 females) from various institutions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad participated in the study through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Parental Authority Questionnaire (Alkharusi, 2011), the Academic Procrastination Questionnaire (Abu-Ghazal, 2012), and the Questionnaire of Academic Stress (QASSE; García-Ros, 2018). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and mediation analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS-21. The results supported the hypothesis, indicating that academic procrastination significantly mediates the relationship between authoritarian parenting and academic stress. These findings are consistent with existing literature on the negative academic consequences of authoritarian parenting. Future research should consider intervention strategies that promote healthier parenting practices to help reduce academic procrastination and stress among students.