Academic Procrastination as a Predictor of Explanatory Style in College Students

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether having a higher level of academic procrastination had a significant influence on the type of explanatory style found in college students. The study focused on negative explanatory styles, ones that attribute events to internal, stable, and global causes, and positive explanatory styles, attributions to external, unstable and specific causes, as correlates of procrastination. Male and female college students (N=86) in the introductory psychology course at Carroll College were given the Academic Attributional Style Questionnaire (AASQ) to measure their explanatory style and the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) to measure procrastination level. Results indicated that while there was not a significant overall correlation between the scores on the AASQ and the PASS, a significant positive relationship was found between students who had a higher level of procrastination and a negative explanatory style. Statistical analyses produced support for the hypothesis that students who procrastinate on academic assignments will have a greater tendency to use a negative explanatory style. The implication is that students with a negative explanatory style will put assignments off longer and perform poorer on tasks, creating additional work and unnecessary stress. Ideas and suggestions for further investigation are also discussed.