Punishment sensitivity and depression: the serially mediating role of procrastination and academic satisfaction

Human temperament, in terms of sensitivity to punishment and rewards, immensely impacts emotions, behaviours, and psychological well-being. Punishment sensitivity is a significant predictor of depression, but, only a few studies have explored the mediating mechanisms between them. The current study attempts to test the causal effect between punishment sensitivity and depression among students, and the chain mediating effects of procrastination (active and traditional) and academic satisfaction. For this purpose, self-report surveys were conducted on a sample of 295 engineering undergraduates in India. The data has been analyzed using structural equation modelling, where hypothesized models that connect punishment sensitivity, procrastination (active procrastination and traditional procrastination), academic satisfaction, and depression, were tested. The result revealed that punishment sensitivity positively predicts depression, and this relationship is serially mediated by procrastination (active and traditional) and academic satisfaction, respectively. Active procrastination negatively and traditional procrastination positively predict depression. Based on the study findings, future interventions against procrastination must consider punishment sensitivity as an important variable. The implications of the research are discussed.