How Study Environments Foster Academic Procrastination: Overview and Recommendations

1 Theoretical Perspectives The Nature of Human Agency Human Agency in Triadic Reciprocal Causation Determinism and the Exercise of Self-Influence Related Views of Personal Efficacy 2 The Nature and Structure of Self-Efficacy Perceived Self-Efficacy as a Generative Capability Active Producers versus Passive Foretellers of Performances The Self-Efficacy Approach to Personal Causation Multidimensionality of Self-Efficacy Belief Systems Self-Efficacy Causality Sources of Discordance Between Efficacy Judgment and Action 3 Sources of Self-Efficacy Enactive Mastery Experience Vicarious Experience Verbal Persuasion Physiological and Affective States Integration of Efficacy Information 4 Mediating Processes Cognitive Processes Motivational Processes Affective Processes Selection Processes 5 Developmental Analysis of Self-Efficacy Origins of a Sense of Personal Agency Familial Sources of Self-Efficacy Peers and the Broadening and Validation of Self-Efficacy School as an Agency for Cultivating Self-Efficacy Growth of Self-Efficacy through Transitional Experiences of Adolescence Self-Efficacy Concerns of Adulthood Reappraisals of Self-Efficacy with Advancing Age 6 Cognitive Functioning Students' Cognitive Self-Efficacy Teachers' Perceived Efficacy Collective School Efficacy 7 Health Functioning Biological Effects of Perceived Self-Efficacy Perceived Self-Efficacy in Health Promoting Behavior Prognostic Judgments and Perceived Self-Efficacy 8 Clinical Functioning Anxiety and Phobic Dysfunctions Depression Eating Disorders Alcohol and Drug Abuse 9 Athletic Functioning Development of Athletic Skills Self-Regulation of Athletic Performance Collective Team Efficacy Psychobiological Effects of Physical Exercise 10 Organizational Functioning Career Development and Pursuits Mastery of Occupational Roles Self-Efficacy in Organizational Decision Making Self-Efficacy in Enactment of Occupational Roles Collective Organizational Efficacy 11 Collective Efficacy Gauging Collective Efficacy Political Efficacy Enablement by Media Modes of Influence Enablement for Sociocultural Change Underminers of Collective Efficacy References Name and Subject Indexes.

Procrastination is a prevalent and pernicious form of self-regulatory failure that is not entirely understood. Hence, the relevant conceptual, theoretical, and empirical work is reviewed, drawing upon correlational, experimental, and qualitative findings. A meta-analysis of procrastination's possible causes and effects, based on 691 correlations, reveals that neuroticism, rebelliousness, and sensation seeking show only a weak connection. Strong and consistent predictors of procrastination were task aversiveness, task delay, self-efficacy, and impulsiveness, as well as conscientiousness and its facets of self-control, distractibility, organization, and achievement motivation. These effects prove consistent with temporal motivation theory, an integrative hybrid of expectancy theory and hyperbolic discounting. Continued research into procrastination should not be delayed, especially because its prevalence appears to be growing. (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved.