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Academic procrastination: Frequency and cognitive-behavioral correlates

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Abstract

Investigated the frequency of 342 college students' procrastination on academic tasks and the reasons for procrastination behavior. A high percentage of Ss reported problems with procrastination on several specific academic tasks. Self-reported procrastination was positively correlated with the number of self-paced quizzes Ss took late in the semester and with participation in an experimental session offered late in the semester. A factor analysis of the reasons for procrastination Ss listed in a procrastination assessment scale indicated that the factors Fear of Failure and Aversiveness of the Task accounted for most of the variance. A small but very homogeneous group of Ss endorsed items on the Fear of Failure factor that correlated significantly with self-report measures of depression, irrational cognitions, low self-esteem, delayed study behavior, anxiety, and lack of assertion. A larger and relatively heterogeneous group of Ss reported procrastinating as a result of aversiveness of the task. The Aversiveness of the Task factor correlated significantly with depression, irrational cognitions, low self-esteem, and delayed study behavior. Results indicate that procrastination is not solely a deficit in study habits or time management, but involves a complex interaction of behavioral, cognitive, and affective components. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
... However, psychological theories suggest that procrastination also stems from deeper emotional and psychological factors [9], such as fear of failure [7,18,62], perfectionism [56], and selfprotective mechanisms [67]. Addressing these psychological and emotional aspects requires helping individuals understand the underlying causes of their procrastination, which can be a crucial step toward effective managements [7,23,70]. Traditional educational approaches, including workshops and seminars for college students, have shown promise in facilitating this learning process [24,58]. By gaining insights into procrastination, individuals can recognize the causes of their behavior and adopt coping strategies tailored to their situations, thereby gaining more autonomy [73]. ...
... Previous interventions in the HCI community have similarly focused on these approaches (detailed in subsection 2.2). However, another substantial body of research has focused on understanding psychological causes and mechanisms of procrastination [7,23,70], revealing that procrastination is not solely a result of poor time management or lack of willpower [79]. One widely accepted framework for understanding procrastination, proposed by Piers Steel [72], identifies four key causes: 1) low self-efficacy, where individuals lack confidence in their ability to complete tasks, often perceiving them as overly difficult or feeling inadequate despite effort; 2) low perceived task value, including disliking the task, finding it meaningless, or perceiving it as unchallenging or uninteresting; 3) high impulsiveness, marked by difficulty resisting distractions, such as entertainment or mobile phone use; and 4) distant delay, related to the temporal distance of rewards and punishments, leading to underestimating deadlines, procrastinating on non-urgent tasks, and struggling with long-term planning. ...
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Procrastination, the voluntary delay of tasks despite potential negative consequences, has prompted numerous time and task management interventions in the HCI community. While these interventions have shown promise in addressing specific behaviors, psychological theories suggest that learning about procrastination itself may help individuals develop their own coping strategies and build mental resilience. However, little research has explored how to support this learning process through HCI approaches. We present ProcrastiMate, a text adventure game where players learn about procrastination's causes and experiment with coping strategies by guiding in-game characters in managing relatable scenarios. Our field study with 27 participants revealed that ProcrastiMate facilitated learning and self-reflection while maintaining psychological distance, motivating players to integrate newly acquired knowledge in daily life. This paper contributes empirical insights on leveraging serious games to facilitate learning about procrastination and offers design implications for addressing psychological challenges through HCI approaches.
... Academic procrastination is defined as the deliberate postponement of completing educational tasks (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984). This behavior is particularly common in academic tasks such as completing assignments, studying for exams, and finishing projects. ...
... This behavior is particularly common in academic tasks such as completing assignments, studying for exams, and finishing projects. Solomon and Rothblum (1984) described academic procrastination as students' tendency to intentionally delay academic responsibilities due to psychological reasons such as anxiety, lack of self-confidence, and time management problems. Furthermore, their study emphasized that while academic procrastination may serve as a stress management strategy, it often becomes a barrier to success. ...
... This study employed the academic procrastination scale developed by Solomon and Rothblum (1984), revised by Guan (2006), to evaluate students' tendencies in academic procrastination across six aspects: writing term papers, reviewing coursework material, completing weekly assignments, managing academic tasks, engaging in activities, and general behavior on campustotaling 18 items scored on a Likert-type scale from "Never" to "Always." A higher score indicates greater levels of academic procrastination. ...
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Introduction Artistic sports have a more positive impact on adolescents on the basis of basic sports. This study delves into the beneficial effects of Artistic sports compared to basic sports in enhancing academic self-efficacy in college students, and investigates the mediating roles of mindfulness, social anxiety, and academic procrastination in this process. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among students in some universities in Gansu Province, collecting a total of 1,976 online questionnaires, including 263 males and 1,713 females, with 1,543 participants in Artistic sports courses and 433 participants in basic sports. Data processing was carried out using SPSS 26.0 software and its plugin PROCESS. Results The analysis results indicate significant differences in mindfulness, social anxiety, academic procrastination, and academic self-efficacy among different types of sports training (ps < 0.05); significant correlations were found among all variables (ps < 0.001). Sports training types can directly predict academic self-efficacy (β = 0.069, t = 3.155, p < 0.01), further confirming that sports training types can directly predict academic self-efficacy. Moreover, mindfulness, social anxiety, and academic procrastination play a chain mediating role between Artistic sports and academic self-efficacy. Discussion These findings highlight the potential value of Artistic sports in enhancing academic self-efficacy and provide practical guidance for education policymakers, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students to promote adolescent academic and psychological health development. It is recommended to enhance the promotion and training of Artistic sports.
... This theory best suits to explore this phenomenon because it emphasizes that teachers' academic motivation can affect students' attitudes toward procrastination, creating positive norms and enhancing their control over academic tasks. Solomon and Rothblum [12] argue that procrastination must be understood through multiple dimensions: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive. Neglecting any of these facets makes it difficult to fully grasp the impact of academic procrastination on students' success. ...
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Purpose The present study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of external and personal regulatory mechanisms in reducing procrastination behavior among university students. For this purpose, the role of teachers’ academic motivation is worthwhile in shaping the learning environment and reducing procrastination, with a focus on the mediating roles of emotion regulation and study habits considered imperative. Research design/method By employing a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, data were collected from a sample of 210 teachers working in universities located in Multan-Pakistan via convenient sampling, yielding a usable response rate of 70.28%. Data analysis & study results The gathered data was analyzed using Smart PLS 4 software. Results from the structural equation model (PLS-SEM) indicated that teachers’ academic motivation significantly affects student procrastination. However, when mediated by emotion regulation and study habits, the study confirmed the statistically significant mediating effect of both mediators in mitigating procrastination among students. Findings Findings of the present study suggested that enhancing teachers’ motivation may be more effective when mediated with emotional regulation and effective study habits. Emotionally regulated students and those with effective study habits were less likely to procrastinate during their academic endeavor. The findings highlighted the need for teacher training programs to develop and promote motivation and support students’ emotional and academic regulation to enhance learning outcomes. Practical implications and recommendations Based on the above findings, the study suggested that enhancing teacher motivation is more impactful when paired with strategies to foster student emotion regulation and study habits. It also recommended educational policies prioritizing academic content and personalized student engagement strategies to minimize procrastination and promote academic success. Programs should be implemented with a focus on promoting motivation while enabling teachers to support students’ emotional and self-regulatory needs for better academic outcomes.
... Penelitian terdahulu yang dilakukan oleh Pratama & Darminto (2021) menunjukkan bahwa self efficacy dan prokrastinasi akademik secara bersamaan berhubungan dengan quarter life crisis. Sebagaimana hal tersebut didukung oleh penelitian yang dilakukan Solomon & Rothblum (1984) bahwa prokrastinasi berkorelasi dengan kecemasan dan kurang yakin akan kemampuan diri. Individu yang melakukan prokrastinasi cenderung menyepelekan tanggung jawab yang dimiliki, akibatnya hasil belajar individu tidak maksimal, lambat dalam mengerjakan tugas, tidak naik kelas dan sebagainya. ...
Article
Penelitian ini menyelidiki hubungan antara self-efficacy dan quarter life crisis di kalangan mahasiswa, yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui bagaimana faktor-faktor ini saling berinteraksi selama tahap akhir dari tugas-tugas akademik. Menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan sampel 347 mahasiswa yang terdaftar secara aktif berusia 18-25 tahun, data dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan skala Likert untuk mengukur efikasi diri dan quarter life crisis. Analisis yang dilakukan melalui korelasi product moment di SPSS 26.0, menunjukkan hubungan negatif yang signifikan (r = -0.945, p = 0.000 < 0.05) antara efikasi diri dan krisis seperempat hidup. Tingkat efikasi diri yang lebih tinggi berkorelasi dengan tingkat quarter life crisis yang lebih rendah, yang mengindikasikan bahwa meningkatkan kepercayaan diri dapat mengurangi dampak psikologis negatif selama fase akademis yang sangat penting ini. Temuan ini menggarisbawahi pentingnya menumbuhkan efikasi diri di kalangan mahasiswa untuk meningkatkan kesehatan mental dan kesuksesan akademis mereka.
... Procrastination, according to one of the most frequently accepted definitions, is mostly the outcome of a lack of self-control (Steel, 2007), whereas another interpretation of this phenomenon is "the failure of self-regulation in not applying the self-control required to engage in the task" (Sirois and Pychyl, 2013). It is also defined as a delaying action that causes apparent subjective suffering (Solomon and Rothblum, 1984). People will engage in whatever activity that provides the most profit (Steel, 2007). ...
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