What if Hard Work Cannot Pay Off? Perceived Low Social Mobility Increases Passive Procrastination Among Students

Social mobility refers to individuals’ movement through a social hierarchy. We examine the effect of perceived low social mobility on passive procrastination among a specific group—students. Across five studies (N = 1,042) using a mixed-method approach, including a three-wave longitudinal survey (Study 1), a cross-sectional survey (Study 2), and three fully controlled experiments (Studies 3A, 3B, and 4), we consistently found that students perceiving low social mobility exhibit a greater tendency to procrastinate passively. Notably, perceiving low social mobility was only causally related to passive, not active, procrastination (Study 4). Our findings add to the literature on both social mobility perceptions and procrastination, and identify a new approach to understanding passive procrastination among students. © The Author(s) 2025