Student Procrastination on an E-learning Platform: From Individual Discounting to Group Behavior.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Quantitative Analysis
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Delay discounting research primarily targets substance use, eating, and gambling behaviors.
• Procrastination has been under-examined by quantitative behavior analysts despite its prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate procrastination as a delay discounting behavior in an academic context.
• To analyze the temporal patterns and individual stability of procrastination among students.

Main Methods:

• 295 psychology students on an e-learning platform completed four tests with self-selected deadlines.
• Behavioral data on test completion times were analyzed using hyperbolic functions and lognormal distributions.

Main Results:

• Most students exhibited procrastination, completing tests close to deadlines, forming a "scalloping" pattern.
• Individual procrastination levels were stable across tests and negatively correlated with academic grades.
• Group-level procrastination patterns aligned with a lognormal distribution of individual impulsivity.

Conclusions:

• Procrastination is a stable behavioral trait linked to delay discounting and impulsivity.
• Student procrastination significantly impacts academic performance, highlighting the need for behavioral interventions.
• E-learning platforms provide a viable setting for studying delay discounting and procrastination behaviors.