TRAIT PROCRASTINATION, TIME MANAGEMENT, AND ACADEMIC BEHAVIOR

Abstract

Fifty-five female and 10 male university students enrolled in a three-week Summer course completed a personality questionnaire. They also indicated their study and work intentions, completed a dilatory behavior scale concerning their non-task-related behavior on each of four course tasks, indicated their overall actual study behavior, and rated their agitation and dejection. Trait procrastinators obtained lower scores on three Time Management subscales compared to non-procrastinators, and reported higher levels of dilatory behavior. The Time Management subscales were negatively related to dilatory behavior on two of the course assignments, but in neither case were these variables found to mediate the trait procrastination-dilatory behavior link. Trait procrastination was positively related to dejection at the outset of the course prior to making study and work plans and positively related to agitation experienced during the last week of class. The Time Management subscale, Perceived Control of Time, was negatively related to agitation on each assessment. More importantly, the low perceived control of time associated with trait procrastinators appeared to mediate their higher agitation levels during the last week of class.