{"id":82668,"date":"2025-02-28T10:00:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T09:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de\/?p=82668"},"modified":"2025-02-28T10:00:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T09:00:26","slug":"goethedatadive-tomorrow-is-another-day-or-why-students-procrastinate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aktuelles.uni-frankfurt.de\/en\/english\/goethedatadive-tomorrow-is-another-day-or-why-students-procrastinate\/","title":{"rendered":"#GoetheDataDive: \u201cTomorrow is another day\u201d or \u201cwhy students procrastinate\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many students are familiar with procrastination, i.e. the voluntary postponement of a planned study-related activity (Steel & Klingsieck, 2016). 62.5% of participants in Goethe University Frankfurt\u2019s latest student survey say they start studying later than originally planned, with 14.9% of respondents testifying to a particularly pronounced tendency to procrastinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the debate on procrastination in expert literature focuses on it posing a risk factor for studying. It is associated with a range of negative consequences, including lower academic performance (Kim & Seo, 2015) or lower student satisfaction (Grunschel et al., 2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the university-wide student survey confirmed many of these correlations, in-depth analyses also indicate that complex causal relationships are associated with procrastination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What effect does procrastination have on studies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fact that procrastinating learning behavior is not conducive to studying is also evident among Goethe University students: the more often students procrastinate, the more dissatisfied they are with their own academic performance (see Illustration 1: M2a). They also rate their own learning development more critically than those who consistently work on their tasks or only rarely postpone them (see Illustration 1: M2b and M2c). The survey results confirm that procrastinating students think more often and more intensively about switching subjects. In all three instances, the analysis shows linear effects, which means that those students with a strong tendency to procrastinate always perform worst with regard to the study success factors. By contrast, those who say they never procrastinate achieve the best results and are the least doubtful about their choice of subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Chart:
Illustration 1: Effects of procrastination on studies<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Factors influencing the impact of procrastination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In-depth analyses show that procrastinating learning behavior is closely related to other factors that partially explain its effect. While, on the one hand, there are personal factors related to each individual student, on the other, situational factors within the learning environment also play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding the factor \u201cenjoyment of the subject\u201d to the analysis makes it clear that it is not procrastination itself, but rather a lack of enthusiasm for the subject that is largely responsible for low knowledge gains and increased thoughts about changing subjects. It may be this lack of enthusiasm for the subject that facilities the postponement of learning, which in turn only serves to further reinforce the negative effects associated with a lack of interest in one\u2019s subject. Enjoyment of one\u2019s subject alone, however, cannot mitigate the negative influence procrastination has on satisfaction with one’s own academic performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results of the student survey also highlight the relevance of individual student traits and characteristics (see Illustration 2) that foster procrastination. Doubts about one’s own competence, for instance, increase the tendency to procrastinate. Students who consider themselves to be determined and active procrastinate much less frequently, while those who believe their academic success is largely determined by fate tend to do so more often. Whereas expert literature on procrastination indicates that the experience of autonomy also plays a role, our analysis shows that the option of working in a largely self-determined manner has no influence on the extent of procrastination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Chart:
Illustration 2: Determinants of procrastination<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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In comparison to the influence personal characteristics have in explaining procrastination, that of study-related situational and socio-demographic factors is much less significant. While a quiet place to study at home slightly reduces the likelihood of engaging in procrastinating behavior, neither academic performance requirements nor the perceived balance between credit points and workload have an effect on procrastinating behavior. Exam stress, exam pressure, exam anxiety and general deadline and time pressure do not play any decisive role in this context either. It should be mentioned, however, that these results need to be considered against the backdrop of the aforementioned great importance played by the enjoyment of the subject \u2013 which is definitely influenced by study-related conditions. Beyond that, Goethe University\u2019s student survey does not reveal any significant influence demographic characteristics like gender, age or immigrant heritage \u2013 which do influence study and study behavior in other contexts \u2013 have on procrastination behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Conclusion and ways out of procrastination<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The complexity of the phenomenon of procrastination is most evident in the multi-layered nature of cause-and-effect relationships, with both individual characteristics as well as situational and structural factors interacting dynamically and capable of influencing each other (see Illustration 3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Summary
Illustration 3: Summary of presumed cause-and-effect relationships<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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One key finding is that modifiable factors \u2013 such as determination, self-doubt or personal attitude towards studying \u2013 play a more important role than fixed demographic characteristics. This in turn means that students can actively influence their own learning and working behavior. Research emphasizes the importance of both motivational and action strategies to prevent procrastination and limit its negative effects (Grunschel, 2021, 48). Helpful strategies include setting interim goals, self-instruction on the importance of learning or targeted planning, goal setting and self-monitoring (ibid.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Support services available at Goethe University Frankfurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Goethe University offers a wide variety of programs and workshops to help students develop effective strategies, strengthen personal skills and develop the future-relevant expertise they need for their studies to be successful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n