Academic Procrastination in Two Settings: Motivation Correlates, Behavioral Patterns, and Negative Impact of Procrastination in Canada and Singapore

Two studies are reported examining academic procrastination and motivation in 1,145 university students from Canada and Singapore. In Study 1, relationships between procrastination and motivation variables were found to be similar across contexts, with self-efficacy for self-regulated learning most strongly associated with procrastination in both contexts. In Study 2, patterns of procrastinating behavior and the negative impact of procrastination were examined and compared in Canadian and Singaporean undergraduates. Participants in both contexts reported writing to be the academic task most prone to procrastination. More Singaporeans than Canadians were classified as negative procrastinators (i.e. rated procrastination as a negative influence on academic functioning). In both contexts, negative procrastinators spent more time procrastinating than neutral procrastinators and displayed lower self-efficacy for self-regulated learning. On decrit deux recherches portant sur la motivation et la procrastination universitaire (tendance a remettre au lendemain) de 1145 etudiants du Canada et de Singapour. Dans la premiere etude, les relations entre la motivation et la procrastination sont apparues etre analogues dans les deux pays, la variable la plus fortement associea la procrastination etant l'auto-efficience pour l'apprentissage autoregule. Dans la deuxieme etude, les schemas comportementaux de procrastination et son impact negatif ont ete analyses et compares chez les etudiants de 1° cycle canadiens et singapouriens. Les sujets des deux pays ont mentionne la redaction comme etant la tâche universitaire la plus soumise a la procrastination. Davantage de Singapouriens que de Canadiens ete classes en procrastinateurs negatifs (c'est-a-dire que la procrastination est consideree comme etant un handicap pour les etudes). Dans les deux cas, les procrastinateurs negatifs gaspillaient plus de temps que les procrastinateurs neutres et manifestaient une moindre auto-efficience pour l'apprentissage autoregule.

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