The Effect of Supervisor Support on Academic Procrastination Among Chinese Doctoral Students: Mediation and Moderation Effects of Impostor Syndrome and Neuroticism

This study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design to investigate the relationships between supervisor support, academic procrastination, impostor syndrome, and neuroticism among Chinese doctoral students. The investigation began with a quantitative phase using structural equation modeling to analyze data from 962 participants, followed by a qualitative phase conducting semi-structured interviews with 57 participants to explain and enrich the quantitative findings. Quantitative results reveal that while supervisor support does not directly reduce academic procrastination (β = -0.053, p = 0.185), it indirectly affects it through impostor syndrome (β = -0.063, p < 0.05). Neuroticism did not moderate the supervisor support-procrastination relationship (β = 0.063, p = 0.137). Qualitative findings indicate that supervisor support's effectiveness is often limited by internal psychological barriers, with impostor syndrome emerging as a crucial mediator. Students with high neuroticism showed particular difficulty in benefiting from supervisor support due to emotional distress and overthinking. These findings demonstrate the complex interplay between external support and internal psychological factors in doctoral education, suggesting the need for integrated approaches that combine supportive mentorship with targeted psychological interventions.