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Measuring and reducing college students' procrastination
Christopher J Perrin1, Neal Miller, Alayna T Haberlin
1The Ohio State University, USA. chrisperrin@melmark.org
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|September 24, 2011
Summary
College students procrastinate less on studying when online materials are contingent on completing previous tasks. This contingent access also improved quiz scores compared to noncontingent access, promoting better study habits.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Procrastination in college students is a significant barrier to academic success.
- Understanding study behaviors for in-class quizzes is crucial for improving learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of different online study material delivery schedules on student procrastination.
- To compare the effectiveness of contingent versus noncontingent access to study materials on academic performance.
Main Methods:
- A multiple baseline design was employed to compare two online practice quiz delivery schedules.
- Student procrastination and study distribution were observed under noncontingent and contingent access conditions.
- Academic performance was measured by percentage correct scores on weekly in-class quizzes relative to pretests.
Main Results:
- Students exhibited significant procrastination when online study material was provided noncontingently.
- Contingent access to study materials led to more evenly distributed studying patterns.
- Mean percentage correct scores on quizzes were higher under the contingent access condition compared to noncontingent access.
Conclusions:
- Making online study materials contingent on prior task completion can effectively reduce student procrastination.
- Contingent access to study resources is a viable strategy for improving academic performance in college students.
- Interventions that structure study material access can promote more consistent and effective learning behaviors.
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