Academic Procrastination in Greek Higher Education: Shedding Light on a Darkened yet Critical Issue
Published:
Oct 15, 2020
Keywords:
Academic procrastination Confirmatory factor analysis Reasons gender differences Intervention
Abstract
Αcademic procrastination, characterized by self-regulation difficulties in delaying the start or completion of academic tasks (Ferrari, 2010), is widespread among university students. One of the most widely used measures of academic procrastination is Procrastination Assessment Scale Students (PASS, Solomon &Rotblum, 1984). However, there is a
dearth of research investigating its factorial structure using confirmatory factor analysis. Greek studies on academic procrastination are also scarce. The present study investigated academic procrastination among Greek university students (n = 865),as well as the factorial structure of PΑSS. Results from a CFA supported a one factor solution. Moreover, 40.5% of students were characterized as frequent procrastinators, towards reading for the exams, writing essays or attending classes. The reasons students gave for procrastinating were “fear of failure”, “task aversion”, “fear of success /peer pressure” and “lack of assertiveness/ time management skills”. No major, age, or gender differences in academic procrastination were detected. Finally, most students wished to participate in a future anti-procrastination program. Findings increase the ecological validity of current literature and could be potentially useful for counselors and researchers
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
Argiropoulou, M. I., Κalantzi A., & Ferrari, J. R. (2020). Academic Procrastination in Greek Higher Education: Shedding Light on a Darkened yet Critical Issue. Psychology: The Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 21(2), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.23273
- Issue
- Vol. 21 No. 2 (2014)
- Section
- RESEARCH PAPERS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The journal PSYCHOLOGY adopts a Platinum open-access policy. Submission, processing or publication costs are waived by the Hellenic Psychological Society. Papers published in the journal PSYCHOLOGY are licensed under a 'Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International' licence. The authors reserve the copyright of their work and grant the journal the right of its first publication. Third-party licensees are allowed to use the published paper immediately after publication as they wish, provided they retain the defined by the license copyright formalities, regarding the reference to its author(s) and its initial publication in the journal PSYCHOLOGY. Moreover, any adjusted work should be shared under the same reuse rights, so with the same CC license.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Alexander,E. S., & Onwuegbuzie,A. J. (2007). Academic
procrastination and the role of hope as a
coping strategy.Personality and Individual Differences,
(7), 1301-1310.
Beck, B.L., Koons, S.R., &Milgram, D.L. (2000). Correlates
and consequences of behavioral procrastination:
The effects of academic procrastination,
self-consciousness, self-esteem, and self-handicapping.
Journal of Social Behavior and Personality,
, 3-13.
Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural
models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238-
Bentler, P. M. (1995). EQS structural equations program
manual. Encino: Multivariate Software, Inc.
Bentler, P. M., &Bonett, D. G.(1980). Significance tests
and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance
structures.Psychological Bulletin, 88, 588-606
Beswick, G., Rothblum,E. D., &Mann, L. (1988). Psychological
antecedents to student procrastination.
Australian Psychologist, 23,207-217
Bridges, K. R., &Roig, M. (1997). Academic procrastination and irrational thinking: A re-examination
with context controlled. Personality and Individual
Differences, 22(6), 941-944.
Brown, T. A. (2006). Confirmatory factor analysis for
applied research. New York: Guilford.
Browne, M. W., &Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways
of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen& J. S. Long
(Eds.),Testing structural equation models (pp.
-162). Newbury Park: Sage.
Burnham,K. P.,&Anderson, D. R. (2001). Kullback-
Leibler information as a basis for strong inference
in ecological studies. Wildlife Research 28, 111-
Clark,J. L., & Hill, O. W. (1994). Academic procrastination
among African-American college students.
Psychological Reports, 75, 931-936
Day,V., Mensink, D., & O’Sullivan, M. (2000). Patterns
of academic procrastination.Journal of College
Reading and Learning, 30, 120-134.
D
to Procrastinators: The Role of Time Perspective.
In Μ. Stolarski, N. Fieulaine & W.vanBeek (Eds.),
Time Perspective Theory; Review, Research and
Application (pp. 305-321). Switzerland: Springer
International Publishing.
Ferrari, J. R. (1991). Self -handicapping by procrastinators:
Protecting self-esteem, social esteem, or both?
Journal of Research in Personality, 25, 245-261.
Ferrari, J. R. (2001). Procrastination and attention:
Factor analysis of attention deficit, boredomness,
intelligence, self-esteem, and task delay frequencies.
Journal of Social Behavior and Personality,
, 185-196.
Ferrari, J. R. (2004). Trait procrastination in academic
settings: An overview of students who engage
in task delays. In H. C. Schowuenburg, C. Lay, T.
A. Pychyl, & J. R. Ferrari(Eds.),Counseling the procrastinator
in academic settings (pp. 19-28).
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Ferrari, J. R., Johnson, J, &McCown, W. (1995). Procrastination
and Task Avoidance: Theory, Research,
and Treatment. New York: Plenum Press
Ferrari, J. R., Özer, U. B., &Demir, A. (2009). Chronic
Procrastination among Turkish Adults: Exploring
Decision, Avoidant, and Arousal Styles. Journal
of Social Psychology, 149 (3), 302-307.
Ferrari, J.R. (1989). Reliability of academic and dispositional
measures of procrastination.Psychological
Reports, 64,1057-1058
Ferrari, J.R. (2010). Still Procrastinating? The No Regrets
Guide to Getting It Done. New York: Wiley.
Ferrari, J.R., Keane, S., Wolfe, R., & Beck, B. (1998).
The antecedents and consequences of academic
excuse-making: Examining individuals differences
in procrastination. Research in Higher Education,
, 199-215.
Giovazolias, T., Leontopoulou, S., &Triliva, S. (2010).
Assessment of Greek University Students’ Counseling
Needs and Attitudes: An Exploratory Study.
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling,
, 101-116
Harila, D., &Kalantzi-Azizi, A. (2007). Ποιότητα Ζωής
και Ψυχολογική Συμβουλευτική Φοιτητών [Wellbeing
and Psychological Counselling of
Students]. Επιθεώρηση Συμβουλευτικής κα ιΠρο-
σανατολισμού [Review of Counselling and
Guidance], 80-81, 267-280. [in Greek]
Haycock, L. A. (1993). The cognitive mediation of procrastination:
An investigation of the relationship
between procrastination and self-efficacy beliefs
(Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota,
. Dissertation Abstracts International, 54,
Haycock, L. A., McCarty, P. veSkay, C. L. (1998). Procrastination
in college students: The role of self-efficacy
and anxiety. Journal of Counseling and Development,
, 317-324.
Hess, B., Sherman, M. F., & Goodman, M. (2000).
Eveningness predicts academic procrastination:
The mediating role of neuroticism. Journal of Social
Behavior & Personality, 15, 61-74.
Hill, M., Hill, D., Chabot, A., &Barral, J. (1978). A survey
of college faculty and student procrastination.
College Students Personnel Journal, 12, 256-
Howell, A. J., Watson, D. C., Powell, R. A., &Buro, K.
(2006). Academic procrastination: The pattern
and correlates of behavioural postponement. Personality
and Individual Differences, 40(8), 1519-
Hu, L.T., &Bentler, P. (1995). Evaluating model fit. In
R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Structural equation modeling.
Concepts, issues, and applications (pp. 76-99).
Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Johnson, J. L. &Bloom, A. M. (1995). An analysis of
the contribution of the five factors of personality to
variance in academic procrastination. Personality
and Individual Differences, 18(l), 127-133
Kalantzi - Azizi, A., &Karadimas, E. C. (1994, September).
The adaption of the Test concerning Abilities
for Study and Examinations to a Greek student
population and the relationship of temperament to
procrastination. Paper presented at the meeting of
the 24th Congress of the European Association
for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Corfu,
Greece
KalatziAzizi, Α. &Chatzidimou, S. (1996). Ερμηνευτική
προσέγγιση της αναβλητικότητας στα μαθητικά /
φοιτητικά καθήκοντα. [Interpretative approach of
procrastination of school and academic tasks
according to the Attribution Theory of the causes
of behavior in Education field]. Νέα Παιδεία
[Neapedia], 80, 89-111. [in Greek]
Karademas, E.&KalatziAzizi, Α. (2003).Η σχέση μετα-
ξύ γεγονότων ζωής και καθημερινών προστρι-
βών, προσδοκιών αυτό-αποτελεσματικότητας,
στρατηγικών αντιμετώπισης αγχογόνων κατα-
στάσεων και ψυχοσωματικής υγείας [The
relationship between life events and daily hassles,
self-efficacy expectations, coping strategies and
psychosomatic health], Ψυχολογία [Psychology],
, (1) 75-91. [in Greek]
König, C. J., &Kleninmann, M. (2004). Business before
pleasure: No strategy for procrastinators? Personality
and Individual Differences, 37, 1045-1057
Krause, K., & Freund, A. M. (2014). How to beat procrastination:
The role of goal focus. European Psychologist,
(2), 132.
Mac Callum, R. C., & Austin, J. T. (2000).Applications
of structural equation modeling in psychological
research.Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 201-
Mathioudakis, K. (2012). Διερεύνηση του φαινομένου
της προβληματικής χρήσης του διαδικτύου και η
συσχέτισή του με τη ροή-απορρόφηση στο δια-
δίκτυο και την ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητικότητα στους
Έλληνες φοιτητές [Aninvestigation of the
relationship between problematic internetuse, flow
& academic procrastination among Greek college
students]. Unpublished undergraduate thesis,
Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
[National and Kapodistrian University of Athens],
Athens, Greece. [in Greek].
Mellon, R., Koliadis, M., & Paraskevopoulos T. (2004).
Normative development of fears in Greece: Selfreports
on the Hellenic Fear Survey Schedule for
Children. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 18, 233-
Micek, L. (1982). Some problems of self-autoregulation
of volitional processes in university students
from the point of view of their mental health.
Sbornik Praci Filosoficke Fakulty Brnenske University,
(17), 51-70.
Milgram, N., Batori, G., &Mowrer, D. (1993).Correlates
of academic procrastination.Journal of Social Psychology,
, 487-500.
Milgram, N., Marshevsky, S. veSadeh, A. (1994).Correlates
of academic procrastination: Discomfort,
task aversiveness, and task capability.The Journal
of Psychology, 129(1), 145-155
Navridis, Kl.,Dragona, Th., Mialiarini, B., &Damigos, D.
(1990). Συμβουλευτικό Κέντρο για τους Φοιτητές
του Πανεπιστημίου Ιωαννίνων: Ένα μεταβατικό
πλαίσιο για μία μεταβατική ηλικία [Counselling
Centre for the Students of University Ioannina: A
transient frame for a transient age]. Ioannina: Εκ-
δόσεις Πανεπιστημίου Ιωαννίνων [Publications of
University of Ioannina]. [in Greek]
Orellana, L., Tindale, S., & Suarez-Balcazar, Y. (2000).
Decisional and behavioral procrastination: How
they relate to self-discrepancies. Journal of Social
Behavior and Personality, 15(5), 225-238.
Özer, B. U. & Ferrari, J. R., (2011). Gender Orientation
and Academic Procrastination:Exploring Turkish
High School Students. Individual Differences Research
, (I), 33-40
Özer, B. U. & Ferrari, J. R., (2011). Gender Orientation
and Academic Procrastination: Exploring Turkish
High School Students. Individual Differences Research
, (I), 33-40
Özer, B. U., Demir, A. & Ferrari, J.R. (2009). Exploring
Academic Procrastination Among Turkish Students:
Possible Gender Differences in Prevalence
and Reasons. The Journal of Social Psychology
(2), 241-257
Potts, T. J. (1987). Predicting procrastination on academic
tasks with self-report personality measures
(Doctoral dissertation, Hofstra University, 1987).
Dissertation Abstracts International, 48, 1543.
Pychyl, T. A., Coplan, R. J., & Reid, P. A. M. (2002).
Parenting and procrastination: Gender differences
in the relations between procrastination,
parenting style and self- worth in early adolescence.
Personality and Individual Differences, 33,
-285.
Rothblum, E. D., Solomon, L. J., &Murakabi.J. (1986).
Affective, cognitive and behavioral differences between
high and low procrastinators. Journal of
Counseling Psychology, 33, 387-394.
Schouwenburg, H. C. (1992). Procrastinators and fear
of failure: An exploration of reasons for procrastination.
European Journal of Personality, 6, 225-
Schouwenburg, H.C., Lay, C., Pychyl, T.A., & Ferrari,
J.R. (2004). Counseling the procrastinator in academic
settings. Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association.
Siatis, A. (2012). Η γενική και ακαδημαϊκή αναβλητι-
κότητα σε σχέση με την ψυχική υγεία των φοιτη-
τών [General and academic procrastination in
relation to university students mental health].
Unpublished undergraduate thesis, Εθνικό και Κα-
ποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών [National &
Kapodistrian University of Athens], Athens,
Greece. [in Greek]
Solomon, L. &Rothblum, E. (1984). Academic procrastination:
Frequency and cognitive - behavioral
correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31
(4), 503-509.
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: a metaanalytic
and theoretical review of quintessential
self-regulatory failure. Psychological bulletin,
(1), 65.
Tan, C. X., Ang, R. P., Klassen, R. M., Yeo, L. S.,
Wong, I. Y. F., Huan, V. S., & Chong, W. H. (2008).
Correlates of academic procrastination and students’
grade goals.Current Psychology, 27, 135-
Van Eerde, W. (2003).A meta-analytically derived
nomological network of procrastination.Personality
and Individual Differences, 35 (6), 1401-
Watson, D. C. (2001). Procrastination and the five-factor
model: A facet level analysis. Personality and
Individual Differences, 30, 149-158.
Xatzidimou, S. (1994).Αναβλητικότητα στα σχολικά και
φοιτητικά καθήκοντα σε μαθητές και φοιτητές
[Procrastination in school and academic tasks
among students of secondary and tertiary
education]. Unpublished master’s thesis, Εθνικό
και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
[National and Kapodistrian University of Athens],
Athens, Greece [in Greek]
Εfthimiou, K., Efstathiou, G., & Kalantzi-Azizi, A.,
(2007). Πανελλήνια επιδημιολογική έρευνα ψυχι-
κής υγείας στον φοιτητικό πληθυσμό [Panhellenic
epidimiological research on mental health in
student population]. Aθήνα [Athens]: Πεδίο
[Pedio]. [in Greek]
