Predicting the rate of procrastination of university students based on internet addiction and metaphorical perception of time during the Corona virus outbreak

Introduction: The spread of Corona virus outbreak has changed peoples lifestyles, and due to the nature of unlimited Internet usage in this era, the perception of time has also been changed and has caused a kind of procrastination in university students. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between internet addiction and metaphorical perception of time with students procrastination during the Corona virus outbreak. Method: The method of this study was descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included all students in Tehran and Mashhad during the outbreak of Corona virus in 2021. To do this, 250 students were voluntarily asked via Instagram to complete Time Perception Metaphorical Questionnaire of Raiisi and Moghadasin (2020), Young Internet Addiction Questionnaire (1996) and Tuckman Procrastination Scale (1991). The statistical method was Pearson correlation and multivariate regression analysis. Data were then analyzed by using SPSS-22. Results: The results indicated that Internet addiction and metaphorical perception of time during Corona virus outbreak are related to the level of students procrastination at this time (P<0.05). Also, internet addiction and metaphorical perception of time can predict 17.8% and 14.6% of procrastination, respectively. Conclusion: To conclude, it can be said that the rate of students procrastination is predictable based on internet addiction and metaphorical understanding of time during the outbreak of the Corona virus. It is suggested that researchers pay more attention to cognitive factors such as metaphorical perception of time and behavioral factors such as internet addiction in their studies on procrastination in this period.