Academic procrastinators, strategic delayers and something betwixt and between: An interview study
Main Article Content
Abstract
The study explored university undergraduates’ dilatory behaviour, more precisely, procrastination and strategic delaying. Using qualitative interview data, we applied a theory-driven and person-oriented approach to test the theoretical model of Klingsieck (2013). The sample consisted of 28 Bachelor students whose study pace had been slow during their first university year. Three student profiles emerged. The first concerned strategic delay and was represented by motivated students with strong self-efficacy beliefs who had intentionally postponed their studying. The second consisted of students whose delaying was unnecessary in nature; these students had minor self-regulation problems but were still motivated to study. The third profile consisted of procrastinating students who lacked self-regulation skills and had weaker self-efficacy beliefs. The results indicate that dilatory behaviour can vary from strategic delay to dysfunctional procrastination, and that different factors are related to these various types of dilatory behaviour. This study adds to our theoretical understanding of academic procrastination by empirically testing a new theoretical model of procrastination. In addition, the study opens a new ‘methodological path’ to explore dilatory behaviour qualitative instead of following a strong tradition of using quantitative methods.
Article Details
How to Cite
Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Saariaho, E., Inkinen, M., Haarala-Muhonen, A., & Hailikari, T. (2015). Academic procrastinators, strategic delayers and something betwixt and between: An interview study. Frontline Learning Research, 3(2), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v3i2.154
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References
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procrastination scale. The Journal of Social Psychology, 149(2), 195–211.
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Individual Differences, 35, 1401-1418.
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procrastination: an interview study. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28(3), 841-861.
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profile analysis. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 225-233.
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regulation, and cognitive strategies. Studies in Higher Education, 31, No. 1, 99–117.
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analysis. Learning and Individual Differences, 19, 151-154.
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learning strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 267-178.
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appeal of alcohol and the role of underachievement. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
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efficacy to self-regulate predicts higher levels of procrastination. Contemporary Educational
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Applications (pp. 283–301). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, inc., Publishers.
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J. R. Ferrari, J. L. Johnson, & W. G. McCown (Eds.) Procrastination and Task Avoidance. Theory,
Research and Treatment (pp. 71–96). New York: Plenum Press.
Schraw, G., Wadkins, T. & Olafson, L. (2007). Doing the things we do: a grounded theory of academic
procrastination. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 12–25.
Solomon, L. J. & Rothblum, E. D. (1984). Academic procrastination: frequency and cognitive-behavioral
correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31, 503–509.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: a meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-
regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 65–94.
Strunk, K., Cho, J., Steele, M., & Bridges, S. (2013). Developing and validation of a 2 x 2 model of time-
related academic behaviour: Procrastination and timely engagement. Learning and Individual
Differences, 25, 35-44.
Tice, D, M., & Baumeister R, F. (1997). Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress and
health: the costs and benefits of dawdling. Psychological Science, 8(6), 454–458.
Vanthurnout, G. (2011). Patterns in student learning. Exploring a person-oriented and a longitudinal
research perspective. Antwerpen-Apeldoom: Garant. Doctoral thesis. University of Antwerpen,
Belgium.
Vermunt, J., D., H., M., & van Rijswik, F., A., W., M. (1988). Analysis and development of students’ skill in
self-regulated learning. Higher Education 17, 647–682.
Vermunt, J., D., & Verloop N. (1999). Congruence and friction between learning and teaching. Learning and
Instruction 9, 257–280.
Wolters, C. A. (2003). Understanding procrastination from a self-regulated learning perspective. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 95(1), 179–187.
Wäschle, K., Allgaier, A., Lachner, A., Fink, S., & Nückles, M. (2014). Procrastination and self-efficacy:
Tracing vicious and virtuous circles in self-regulated learning. Learning and Instruction, 29, 103-
114.
Zimmerman, B. J. (1994). Dimensions of academic self-regulation: a conceptual framework for education. In
D. H. Schunk D. H., & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.) Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance.
Issues and Educational Applications (pp. 3–21). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, inc.,
Publishers.
motivation processes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(3), 260-267.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy. The Exercise of Control. New York: W. H. Freeman and Company.
Blunt, A., & Pychyl, T. (2000). Task aversiveness and procrastination: A multi-dimensional approach to task
aversiveness across stages of personal projects. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 153-167.
Csikszentmihalyi, M., Larson, R., & Prescott, S. (1977). The ecology of adolescent activity and experience.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 6, 281-294.
Corkin, D, Yu, S., & Lindt, S. (2011). Comparing active delay and procrastination from a self-regulated
learning perspective. Learning and Individual Differences 21, 602–606.
Choi, J.N., & Moran, S. V. (2009). Why not procrastinate? Development and validation of a new active
procrastination scale. The Journal of Social Psychology, 149(2), 195–211.
Chu, A.H.C., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking Procrastination: Positive effects of “active” procrastination
behavior on attitudes and performance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 145(3), 245–264.
Eerde, W. (2003). A meta-analytically derived nomological network of procrastination. Personality and
Individual Differences, 35, 1401-1418.
Elliott, A., & Harackiewicz, J. (1994). Goal setting, achievement orientation, and intrinsic motivation: A
meditational analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(5), 968-980.
Ferrari, J. R., Johnson, J. L., & McCown, W. G. (1995). An overview of procrastination. In J. R. Ferrari, J. L.
Johnson, & W. G. McCown (Eds.). Procrastination and Task Avoidance. Theory, Research and
Treatment (pp. 1-20). New York: Plenum Press.
Ferrari, J. R., & Tice, D. M. (2000). Procrastination as a self-handicap for men and women: a task-avoidance
strategy in a laboratory setting. Journal of Research in Personality, 34, 73–83.
Garcia, T., & Pintrich, P. R. (1994). Regulating motivation and cognition in the classroom: the role of self-
schemas and self-regulatory strategies. In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.) Self-Regulation
of Learning and Performance. Issues and Educational Applications (pp. 127–153). New Jersey:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, inc., Publishers.
Grunschel, C., Patrzek, J., & Fries, S. (2013a). Exploring reasons and consequences of academic
procrastination: an interview study. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28(3), 841-861.
Grunschel, C., Patrzek, J., & Fries, S. (2013b). Exploring different types of academic delayers: A latent
profile analysis. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 225-233.
Heikkilä, A., & Lonka K. (2006). Studying in higher education: students’ approaches to learning, self-
regulation, and cognitive strategies. Studies in Higher Education, 31, No. 1, 99–117.
Howell, A., & Buro, K. (2009). Implicit beliefs, achievement goals, and procrastination: A mediational
analysis. Learning and Individual Differences, 19, 151-154.
Howell, A., & Watson, D. (2007). Procrastination: Associations with achievement goal orientation and
learning strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 267-178.
Jones, E. & Berglas, S. (1978). Control of attributions about the self through self-handicapping strategies: the
appeal of alcohol and the role of underachievement. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
4(2), 200-2006.
Klassen, M., Krawchuk, L., & Rajani, S. (2008). Academic procrastination of undergraduates: Low self-
efficacy to self-regulate predicts higher levels of procrastination. Contemporary Educational
Psychology, 33, 915-931.
Klingsieck, K. (2013). Procrastination. When good things don’t come to those who wait. European
Psychologist, 18(1), 24–34.
Klingsieck, K., Grund, A., Schmid, S., & Fries, S. (2013) Why Students procrastinate: A qualitative
approach. Journal of College Student Development, 54(4), 397-412.
Lee, E. (2005). The relationship of motivation and flow experience to academic procrastination in university
students. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 166, 5-14.
Newman, R. S. (1994). Adaptive help seeking: a strategy of self-regulated learning. In D. H. Schunk D. H.,
& B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.) Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance. Issues and Educational
Applications (pp. 283–301). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, inc., Publishers.
Pintrich, P. R. (1995) Understanding self-regulated learning. In P. R. Pintrich (Ed.) Understanding Self-
Regulated Learning (pp. 3-12). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Pintrich, P. R. (2004). A conceptual framework for assessing motivation and self-regulated learning in
college students. Educational Psychology Review, 4, 385-408.
Pychyl, T. A., Morin, R. W., & Salmon, B. R. (2000). Procrastination and the planning fallacy: an
examination of the study habits of university students. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality,
15, 135–150.
Rothblum, E. D., Solomon, L. J., & Murakami, J. (1986). Affective, cognitive, and behavioral differences
between high and low procrastinators. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 33(4), 387-394.
Schouwenburg, H. C. (1995). Academic procrastination: theoretical notions, measurement, and research. In
J. R. Ferrari, J. L. Johnson, & W. G. McCown (Eds.) Procrastination and Task Avoidance. Theory,
Research and Treatment (pp. 71–96). New York: Plenum Press.
Schraw, G., Wadkins, T. & Olafson, L. (2007). Doing the things we do: a grounded theory of academic
procrastination. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 12–25.
Solomon, L. J. & Rothblum, E. D. (1984). Academic procrastination: frequency and cognitive-behavioral
correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31, 503–509.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: a meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-
regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 65–94.
Strunk, K., Cho, J., Steele, M., & Bridges, S. (2013). Developing and validation of a 2 x 2 model of time-
related academic behaviour: Procrastination and timely engagement. Learning and Individual
Differences, 25, 35-44.
Tice, D, M., & Baumeister R, F. (1997). Longitudinal study of procrastination, performance, stress and
health: the costs and benefits of dawdling. Psychological Science, 8(6), 454–458.
Vanthurnout, G. (2011). Patterns in student learning. Exploring a person-oriented and a longitudinal
research perspective. Antwerpen-Apeldoom: Garant. Doctoral thesis. University of Antwerpen,
Belgium.
Vermunt, J., D., H., M., & van Rijswik, F., A., W., M. (1988). Analysis and development of students’ skill in
self-regulated learning. Higher Education 17, 647–682.
Vermunt, J., D., & Verloop N. (1999). Congruence and friction between learning and teaching. Learning and
Instruction 9, 257–280.
Wolters, C. A. (2003). Understanding procrastination from a self-regulated learning perspective. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 95(1), 179–187.
Wäschle, K., Allgaier, A., Lachner, A., Fink, S., & Nückles, M. (2014). Procrastination and self-efficacy:
Tracing vicious and virtuous circles in self-regulated learning. Learning and Instruction, 29, 103-
114.
Zimmerman, B. J. (1994). Dimensions of academic self-regulation: a conceptual framework for education. In
D. H. Schunk D. H., & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds.) Self-Regulation of Learning and Performance.
Issues and Educational Applications (pp. 3–21). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, inc.,
Publishers.