From distraction to delay: Unpacking academic procrastination Author Accepted Manuscript

Academic procrastination undermines students’ academic performance and psychological well-being. This study investigated key psychological and cognitive factors associated with procrastination, including personality traits, need for achievement, inattention, hyperactivity, and social media addiction. A total of 464 Italian university students completed validated self-report questionnaires; a subsample of 80 participants also completed cognitive tasks assessing attention, inhibitory control, and working memory. Predictors of procrastination were examined using multiple regression and a path analysis model (structural equation modeling). Exploratory statistical indirect-effect analyses were also conducted; given the cross-sectional design, these were interpreted as associational rather than causal. Procrastination was negatively associated with conscientiousness and need for achievement, and positively associated with inattention, hyperactivity, and problematic social media use, with inattention emerging as the strongest statistical correlate. Importantly, the integration of self-report and objective performance data revealed that high procrastinators showed poorer executive functioning. These findings highlight the combined role of personal and cognitive factors in academic procrastination. Interventions aimed at enhancing attentional control and strengthening need for achievement may help reduce procrastination and improve students’ academic outcomes and well-being.