Examining Social Support and procrastination among college students (Chris)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1425524/full
This study examines the relationship between social support and procrastination among college students, particularly for those with high intolerance of uncertainty (IU)—a trait linked to difficulty handling stress and ambiguity. Analyzing data from 394 undergraduates, the study found that higher family support significantly reduced procrastination, especially among students struggling with IU, while friend support had a weaker effect and support from significant others showed no impact. Conducted during remote learning (COVID-19), the study suggests that family support is a crucial protective factor in helping students manage stress and avoid procrastination. The findings highlight the need for universities to encourage students to leverage family support as a resource for academic success and well-being.
Perceived social support and procrastination in college students: A sequential mediation model of self-compassion and negative emotions (Chris)
The paper examines the relationship between perceived social support and procrastination among college students, exploring the psychological mechanisms underlying this connection. Using a sample of 874 Chinese college students, the study finds that higher perceived social support negatively predicts procrastination. It identifies two key mediators in this relationship: self-compassion and negative emotions. Self-compassion, which fosters positive self-evaluation and intrinsic motivation, reduces procrastination, while negative emotions, which impair self-regulation, increase it. Additionally, the study reveals a sequential mediation effect, where social support enhances self-compassion, which in turn reduces negative emotions, ultimately lowering procrastination. These findings provide insights for interventions aimed at reducing procrastination through enhancing social support, promoting self-compassion, and managing negative emotions.
Time perspectives and procrastination in university students: exploring the moderating role of basic psychological need satisfaction (David)
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01494-8#Sec27
Brief Summary: In this study, the researchers investigated the relationship between time perspectives and procrastination in college students, zooming in on how basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) moderates this relationship. They categorized time perspectives into two overarching groups: positive orientations, which include future and past-positive perspectives, and negative orientations, which include past-negative and present-fatalistic perspectives. This research was conducted with 1188 university students and found that future oriented individuals procrastinate less. On the contrary, individuals with a negative past perspective procrastinate more. In addition, they found that those who had a combination of past-positive and future perspective procrastinated even less. This study elucidates the idea that BPNS which includes competence, autonomy, and relatedness can help reduce procrastination, if these needs are improved.
Measuring and Reducing College Students’ Procrastination (David)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3177330/
Brief Summary: This study investigates procrastination among 11 college graduate students through preparing for weekly quizzes. They split students into 2 groups: Group 1 had noncontingent access to practice quizzes, meaning students could access practice quizzes at set times without restrictions before the actual quiz. Group 2 had contingent access, meaning a student had to complete a practice quiz before unlocking the next quiz. This study found that people studied more evenly and had better improved scores with contingent scheduling access. However, despite these results students pointed out a proclivity towards a non contingent access. This study highlights the idea that structured incentives can help students maintain better study habits.
Predictors of Academic Procrastination in College Students (Yosief)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.2466/pr0.1999.84.2.686
Brief Summary: This study looked at 303 college students in a study-skills course to see what helped or stopped them from changing their procrastination habits. Students who took responsibility, saw real consequences, and actually applied strategies were the ones who improved, while those who blamed external factors, felt overwhelmed, or lacked motivation didn’t make progress. The key takeaway is that self-awareness, structured support, and small, consistent changes are what actually help students overcome procrastination.
Procrastinating in College: Students’ Readiness and Resistance to Change (Yosief)
https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/699397/summary
Brief Summary: This study examined 109 college students to figure out what psychological factors drive procrastination. It found that high test anxiety, pressure from others’ expectations, and low personal standards made students more likely to procrastinate, while external motivation (like caring about grades) actually reduced it. The study suggests that perfectionism, stress, and self-imposed pressure are big contributors to procrastination, meaning the best way to address it is by helping students manage anxiety and rethink how they approach success.
Procrastination and Stress: A Conceptual Review of Why Context Matters (Sara)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/6/5031
Brief Summary: Procrastination is often seen as a struggle with self-control that leads to more stress, worse health habits, and lower overall well-being. While people usually think of stress as something that happens because of procrastination, Sirois (2023) argues that stress can actually cause procrastination too. When people are in high-stress situations, like during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have fewer emotional and mental resources to handle tough tasks, making procrastination more tempting as a way to avoid negative feelings. Her stress context vulnerability model explains how stressful environments make it harder to regulate emotions, pushing people to delay tasks even more. This creates a cycle where procrastination offers short-term relief but makes stress worse in the long run. The study also shows that procrastination is linked to unhelpful coping habits like rumination and avoidance, making it even harder to break the pattern. Sirois suggests that strategies like mindfulness, self-compassion, and better emotional regulation could help people manage stress in healthier ways and reduce procrastination.
Relationship between academic procrastination, self-esteem, and moral intelligence among medical sciences students: a cross-sectional study
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-024-01731-8
Brief Summary: Ghasempour et al. (2024) looked at how academic procrastination relates to self-esteem and moral intelligence among medical students and found that nearly all students in the study struggled with procrastination at moderate to severe levels. Their research showed that students with lower self-esteem, lower GPAs, and less interest in their field were more likely to procrastinate. Self-esteem had the strongest link, meaning students who felt better about themselves were less likely to put off their work. The study also explored moral intelligence, which includes traits like honesty, responsibility, and empathy, but its connection to procrastination wasn’t as clear. Overall, the findings suggest that procrastination isn’t just about time management—it’s also tied to confidence and motivation. Helping students build self-esteem and feel more engaged in their studies could be key to reducing procrastination.
