Student procrastination: Measurement, reduction and environmental factors

Abstract

The procrastination problem affects half or more of all students, negatively affecting health, well-being, and performance. The present thesis focuses on three facets of this problem. In three papers, we examine important research questions: First, an important issue in procrastination research is the need for validation of translated instruments. In our first study, we examine two procrastination instruments, the Irrational Procrastination Scale and the Pure Procrastination Scale (Steel, 2010), finding that both instruments are valid measures for use in different European cultures. The second paper examines a group intervention to reduce academic procrastination. We administered a brief program to inform students about procrastination and to teach remedies to reduce unnecessary delay. Results showed a significant reduction in procrastination from pre- to post-test, students high in procrastination demonstrating the most positive change. Finally, while we know much about endogenous factors, little is known about exogenous, environmental factors affecting procrastination. Addressing this, Study 3 investigated how the academic environment may foster academic procrastination, demonstrating that the academic environment sometimes appears “procrastination friendly”. Overall, the current research contributes to the field in three different but still related domains, and demonstrates that environmental factors may be particularly important for future research to address.