A Rasch Analysis of the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Procrastination is a common issue among college students, impacting academic performance.
• The Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS) by Steel (2002, 2010) is a key instrument for assessing procrastination.
• Validating psychometric properties is crucial for reliable measurement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS).
• To confirm the scale's reliability, validity, and structural integrity in a US college student sample.
• To assess for differential item functioning (DIF) based on gender.

Main Methods:

• Employed the Rasch modeling approach for psychometric analysis.
• Utilized a sample of United States college students.
• Analyzed item reliability, content validity, structural validity, substantive validity, and DIF.

Main Results:

• The IPS demonstrated high reliability and good content, structural, and substantive validity.
• The scale was found to be unidimensional, aligning with Steel's theoretical framework.
• No significant differential item functioning (DIF) was detected concerning gender.

Conclusions:

• The Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS) is a psychometrically sound instrument for measuring procrastination in US college students.
• The findings support the theoretical structure of the IPS.
• Recommendations for future research and practical applications are provided.