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Psychological predictors of procrastination among psychology students

Psychological predictors of procrastination among psychology students

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Recieved: 08/30/2022

Accepted: 10/01/2022

Published: 12/30/2022

Keywords: procrastination; laziness; perfectionism; anxiety; chronic stress; psychology students; COVID-19; distance learning

p.: 91–101

DOI: 10.11621/npj.2022.0409

Available online: 30.12.2022

To cite this article:

Dmitry M. Boyarinov, Gubaidulina Lyudmila M., Yuliana A. Novikova, Kachina, Anastasiya A. , Barabanshchikova, V.V.. Psychological predictors of procrastination among psychology students. // National Psychological Journal 2022. 4. p.91–101. doi: 10.11621/npj.2022.0409

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Issue 4, 2022

Dmitry M. Boyarinov Lomonosov Moscow State University

Gubaidulina Lyudmila M. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Yuliana A. Novikova Lomonosov Moscow State University

Kachina, Anastasiya A. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Barabanshchikova, V.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University

Abstract

Background. Nowadays procrastination can be seen as irrational procrastination, ineffective planning or, more broadly, unproductive self-regulation. In modern scientific literature, there are no convincing data that would clarify both the nature of the procrastination phenomenon and the psychological predictors of its occurrence. The analysis of the relationship between procrastination and a number of psychological characteristics presented in this paper makes it possible to fill this gap. 

Objective. The study aims to identify psychological predictors of procrastination in educational activities among psychology students in different learning conditions (full-time and distance learning). 

Sample. The study involved 460 students of the Faculty of Psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University (42 male and 418 female) aged 16 to 28 years (average age — 19.63), who participated in the study. 

Methods. The study was conducted in two stages — (I) full-time and (II) distance learning. 2 sections were made at each of the stages: (1) under normal conditions during the semester and (2) under stressful conditions during the examination session. Research methods included the scale of general procrastination by K. Lay (Varvaricheva, 2010); the scale of general procrastination by B. Tukman (Kryukova, 2009) and a number of methods aimed at assessing the psychological characteristics of respondents (anxiety, perfectionism, laziness, chronic stress). 

Results. The obtained regression models indicate that procrastination can be considered as disturbed self-organization: initiating and planning one’s actions, irrational postponing (control over action during planning, laziness and personal anxiety acted as predictors to procrastination). When changing the conditions of activity (distance learning), procrastination can act as a strategy of “saving strength” in a situation of increased consumption of internal resources. In this case, the predictors of procrastination are signs of chronic stress and low demands on oneself (low perfectionism). 

Conclusion. The predictors of procrastination in psychology students under normal learning conditions include low control over action during planning, laziness and high personal anxiety. In a distance learning setting, predictors of procrastination include low standards and self-requirements (low perfectionism) and chronic stress.


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To cite this article:

Dmitry M. Boyarinov, Gubaidulina Lyudmila M., Yuliana A. Novikova, Kachina, Anastasiya A. , Barabanshchikova, V.V.. Psychological predictors of procrastination among psychology students. // National Psychological Journal 2022. 4. p.91–101. doi: 10.11621/npj.2022.0409

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