Religiosity, particularly its centrality in an individual’s life, has been identified as an important resource associated with life satisfaction. However, this relationship may be indirect and operate through cognitive and motivational mechanisms. One potential pathway involves readiness for parenthood, reflecting psychological preparedness for adult roles, which may be linked to more structured goal pursuit and lower procrastination. In turn, procrastination has consistently been associated with lower life satisfaction. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine whether readiness for parenthood and procrastination sequentially mediate the relationship between centrality of religiosity and life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 278 childless women aged 18 to 48 years (M = 25.82, SD = 5.39). Participants completed the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, the Maturity to Parenthood Scale, and the Pure Procrastination Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Correlation analyses indicated that centrality of religiosity was positively associated with readiness for parenthood. Life satisfaction was negatively associated with procrastination, and readiness for parenthood was also negatively related to procrastination. A serial multiple mediation analysis (Model 6; Hayes) showed that centrality of religiosity was positively related to readiness for parenthood, which in turn was associated with lower procrastination. Procrastination was a significant negative predictor of life satisfaction. Although the total and direct effects were not significant, a significant serial indirect effect was found (b = 0.0064, 95% CI [0.0020, 0.0115]). These findings suggest that centrality of religiosity may be linked to higher life satisfaction indirectly through increased readiness for parenthood and reduced procrastination.
Religiosity and life satisfaction among childless women: The mediating role of readiness for parenthood and procrastination