Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students

María Martina Jurado; Ileana Petra; Norma Yepez; Mariana Fouilloux; Beatriz Zamora

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

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Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students

María Martina Jurado, Ileana Petra, Norma Yepez, Mariana Fouilloux, Beatriz Zamora

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 3)

Received: 31 May 2021 Accepted: 15 June 2021 Published: 21 June 2021

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Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which procrastination occurs in first-year medical students and the reasons for this behavior. It was a cross-sectional study conducted with 388 medical students from a public university in Mexico City. The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) was used. A descriptive analysis of procrastination behaviors and the reasons for their manifestation was carried out using frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, a comparative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for sex, age, and school of origin. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests were performed for high school grade point average, mother's education, and the people with whom the students lived when applying the instrument. About 30% of the students reported postponing homework or studying, while 27% or less postpone other activities (e.g., tutoring or academic paperwork). As for the reasons why students delay their chores, the ones that stand out are: poor time management, feeling overwhelmed, laziness, frustration (because they think the task takes too much time), anxiety about the evaluation, perfectionism, and difficulty in making decisions when performing the task. As a result of the comparative analysis, it was found that younger people tend to procrastinate less than older people (Z= -2.42; p= .016) when postponing their homework. Males tend to do it more than females as a way of experiencing excitement when rebelling against control (Z= -2.76; p= .006) and taking risks (Z= -2.32; p= .020). However, female students tend to procrastinate more than males when they felt overwhelmed by academic work and the lack of time to carry it out (Z= -2.47; p= .013). In addition, those who attended private schools during high school tend to procrastinate more than those who attended public academies when they have doubts and require assistance but find it difficult to ask the teacher or other people (Z= -2.33; p= .020). In conclusion, the results of this work will help to know the motivation for postponing academic activities and the influences associated with delaying these responsibilities, and therefore, to develop proposals on dealing with bad practices.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
Page(s)	82-88
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Procrastination, Academic Procrastination, Medical Students

References

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[7]	Clariana, M., Cladellas, R., Badía, M. M. and Gotzens, C. (2011). The influence of gender on personality variables conditioning learning: Emotional intelligence and academic procrastination. Inter-University Electronic Journal of Teacher Training, 14 (3), 87-96.
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APA Style

María Martina Jurado, Ileana Petra, Norma Yepez, Mariana Fouilloux, Beatriz Zamora. (2021). Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(3), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

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ACS Style

María Martina Jurado; Ileana Petra; Norma Yepez; Mariana Fouilloux; Beatriz Zamora. Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(3), 82-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

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AMA Style

María Martina Jurado, Ileana Petra, Norma Yepez, Mariana Fouilloux, Beatriz Zamora. Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(3):82-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14,
  author = {María Martina Jurado and Ileana Petra and Norma Yepez and Mariana Fouilloux and Beatriz Zamora},
  title = {Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {3},
  pages = {82-88},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211003.14},
  abstract = {The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which procrastination occurs in first-year medical students and the reasons for this behavior. It was a cross-sectional study conducted with 388 medical students from a public university in Mexico City. The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) was used. A descriptive analysis of procrastination behaviors and the reasons for their manifestation was carried out using frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, a comparative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for sex, age, and school of origin. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests were performed for high school grade point average, mother's education, and the people with whom the students lived when applying the instrument. About 30% of the students reported postponing homework or studying, while 27% or less postpone other activities (e.g., tutoring or academic paperwork). As for the reasons why students delay their chores, the ones that stand out are: poor time management, feeling overwhelmed, laziness, frustration (because they think the task takes too much time), anxiety about the evaluation, perfectionism, and difficulty in making decisions when performing the task. As a result of the comparative analysis, it was found that younger people tend to procrastinate less than older people (Z= -2.42; p= .016) when postponing their homework. Males tend to do it more than females as a way of experiencing excitement when rebelling against control (Z= -2.76; p= .006) and taking risks (Z= -2.32; p= .020). However, female students tend to procrastinate more than males when they felt overwhelmed by academic work and the lack of time to carry it out (Z= -2.47; p= .013). In addition, those who attended private schools during high school tend to procrastinate more than those who attended public academies when they have doubts and require assistance but find it difficult to ask the teacher or other people (Z= -2.33; p= .020). In conclusion, the results of this work will help to know the motivation for postponing academic activities and the influences associated with delaying these responsibilities, and therefore, to develop proposals on dealing with bad practices.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students
AU  - María Martina Jurado
AU  - Ileana Petra
AU  - Norma Yepez
AU  - Mariana Fouilloux
AU  - Beatriz Zamora
Y1  - 2021/06/21
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 82
EP  - 88
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
AB  - The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which procrastination occurs in first-year medical students and the reasons for this behavior. It was a cross-sectional study conducted with 388 medical students from a public university in Mexico City. The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) was used. A descriptive analysis of procrastination behaviors and the reasons for their manifestation was carried out using frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, a comparative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for sex, age, and school of origin. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests were performed for high school grade point average, mother's education, and the people with whom the students lived when applying the instrument. About 30% of the students reported postponing homework or studying, while 27% or less postpone other activities (e.g., tutoring or academic paperwork). As for the reasons why students delay their chores, the ones that stand out are: poor time management, feeling overwhelmed, laziness, frustration (because they think the task takes too much time), anxiety about the evaluation, perfectionism, and difficulty in making decisions when performing the task. As a result of the comparative analysis, it was found that younger people tend to procrastinate less than older people (Z= -2.42; p= .016) when postponing their homework. Males tend to do it more than females as a way of experiencing excitement when rebelling against control (Z= -2.76; p= .006) and taking risks (Z= -2.32; p= .020). However, female students tend to procrastinate more than males when they felt overwhelmed by academic work and the lack of time to carry it out (Z= -2.47; p= .013). In addition, those who attended private schools during high school tend to procrastinate more than those who attended public academies when they have doubts and require assistance but find it difficult to ask the teacher or other people (Z= -2.33; p= .020). In conclusion, the results of this work will help to know the motivation for postponing academic activities and the influences associated with delaying these responsibilities, and therefore, to develop proposals on dealing with bad practices.
VL  - 10
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

María Martina Jurado

Psychiatry and Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Ileana Petra

Psychiatry and Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Norma Yepez

Psychiatry and Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Mariana Fouilloux

Psychiatry and Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
Beatriz Zamora

Psychiatry and Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

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APA Style

María Martina Jurado, Ileana Petra, Norma Yepez, Mariana Fouilloux, Beatriz Zamora. (2021). Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(3), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

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ACS Style

María Martina Jurado; Ileana Petra; Norma Yepez; Mariana Fouilloux; Beatriz Zamora. Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(3), 82-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

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AMA Style

María Martina Jurado, Ileana Petra, Norma Yepez, Mariana Fouilloux, Beatriz Zamora. Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(3):82-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14,
  author = {María Martina Jurado and Ileana Petra and Norma Yepez and Mariana Fouilloux and Beatriz Zamora},
  title = {Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {3},
  pages = {82-88},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211003.14},
  abstract = {The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which procrastination occurs in first-year medical students and the reasons for this behavior. It was a cross-sectional study conducted with 388 medical students from a public university in Mexico City. The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) was used. A descriptive analysis of procrastination behaviors and the reasons for their manifestation was carried out using frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, a comparative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for sex, age, and school of origin. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests were performed for high school grade point average, mother's education, and the people with whom the students lived when applying the instrument. About 30% of the students reported postponing homework or studying, while 27% or less postpone other activities (e.g., tutoring or academic paperwork). As for the reasons why students delay their chores, the ones that stand out are: poor time management, feeling overwhelmed, laziness, frustration (because they think the task takes too much time), anxiety about the evaluation, perfectionism, and difficulty in making decisions when performing the task. As a result of the comparative analysis, it was found that younger people tend to procrastinate less than older people (Z= -2.42; p= .016) when postponing their homework. Males tend to do it more than females as a way of experiencing excitement when rebelling against control (Z= -2.76; p= .006) and taking risks (Z= -2.32; p= .020). However, female students tend to procrastinate more than males when they felt overwhelmed by academic work and the lack of time to carry it out (Z= -2.47; p= .013). In addition, those who attended private schools during high school tend to procrastinate more than those who attended public academies when they have doubts and require assistance but find it difficult to ask the teacher or other people (Z= -2.33; p= .020). In conclusion, the results of this work will help to know the motivation for postponing academic activities and the influences associated with delaying these responsibilities, and therefore, to develop proposals on dealing with bad practices.},
 year = {2021}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Reasons and Motivations for Procrastinating Academic Activities in First-Year Medical Students
AU  - María Martina Jurado
AU  - Ileana Petra
AU  - Norma Yepez
AU  - Mariana Fouilloux
AU  - Beatriz Zamora
Y1  - 2021/06/21
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 82
EP  - 88
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211003.14
AB  - The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which procrastination occurs in first-year medical students and the reasons for this behavior. It was a cross-sectional study conducted with 388 medical students from a public university in Mexico City. The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) was used. A descriptive analysis of procrastination behaviors and the reasons for their manifestation was carried out using frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, a comparative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for sex, age, and school of origin. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests were performed for high school grade point average, mother's education, and the people with whom the students lived when applying the instrument. About 30% of the students reported postponing homework or studying, while 27% or less postpone other activities (e.g., tutoring or academic paperwork). As for the reasons why students delay their chores, the ones that stand out are: poor time management, feeling overwhelmed, laziness, frustration (because they think the task takes too much time), anxiety about the evaluation, perfectionism, and difficulty in making decisions when performing the task. As a result of the comparative analysis, it was found that younger people tend to procrastinate less than older people (Z= -2.42; p= .016) when postponing their homework. Males tend to do it more than females as a way of experiencing excitement when rebelling against control (Z= -2.76; p= .006) and taking risks (Z= -2.32; p= .020). However, female students tend to procrastinate more than males when they felt overwhelmed by academic work and the lack of time to carry it out (Z= -2.47; p= .013). In addition, those who attended private schools during high school tend to procrastinate more than those who attended public academies when they have doubts and require assistance but find it difficult to ask the teacher or other people (Z= -2.33; p= .020). In conclusion, the results of this work will help to know the motivation for postponing academic activities and the influences associated with delaying these responsibilities, and therefore, to develop proposals on dealing with bad practices.
VL  - 10
IS  - 3
ER  -

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