Perfectionism, Fear of Failure, and Academic Procrastination Among Postgraduate Students in Ogun State

This study investigates the relationships among perfectionism, fear of failure, and academic procrastination among postgraduate students at public universities in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Academic procrastination is a pervasive challenge in graduate education that delays thesis completion, extends programme duration, and generates significant student psychological distress. While perfectionism and fear of failure have been theoretically linked to procrastination, their joint operation in Nigerian postgraduate educational contexts has not been empirically examined. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, recruiting 270 Masters and PhD students from Olabisi Onabanjo University and Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta. The Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory, and the Procrastination Assessment Scale for Students were used as instruments. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling with bootstrapped indirect effects. Results indicate that maladaptive perfectionism significantly predicts academic procrastination, with fear of failure mediating this relationship. Adaptive perfectionism, however, was negatively associated with procrastination, suggesting that high standards without evaluation anxiety can support timely academic work. Gender differences were observed, with female postgraduates reporting higher fear of failure but not higher procrastination rates. Supervisor relationship quality was identified as a contextual moderator attenuating the perfectionism-to-procrastination pathway. These findings extend the perfectionism and procrastination literature to Nigerian postgraduate education and suggest that addressing fear of failure should be central to postgraduate support programmes. Keywords: perfectionism, fear of failure, academic procrastination, postgraduate students, Ogun State.