1

A DESCRIPTIVE CORRELATIONAL STUDY: THE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN PROCRASTINATION AND GENDER
IN TERMS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES
OF BS PSYCHOLOGY FIRST YEAR STUDENTS
OF ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY

Geñoso, Valerie Jane

Piamonte, John Robert
Huerno, Greg

30 May 2021
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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Knowledge is an important thing in order for us to commit the success we want but in

order to achieve that we should always know to take good care of our mind as well. The function

of our mind will always be the dependent source in order for us to educate ourselves more.

Attention is indeed a great effort for students to finish every work they have to do. In the school

setting, students will exert effort for them to pass the subject. Finishing tasks is definitely one of

them.

In reality, procrastination occurs anytime, anywhere, or to everyone in their daily

activities. Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. The word has origin

from the Latin procrastinatus, which itself evolved from the prefix pro-, meaning "forward," and

crastinus, meaning "of tomorrow”.1 It could be further stated as a habitual or intentional delay of

starting or finishing a task despite knowing it might have negative consequences.2 It is a

common human experience involving delay in everyday chores or even putting off salient tasks

such as attending an appointment, submitting a job report or academic assignment, or broaching

a stressful issue with a partner. Although typically perceived as a negative trait due to its

hindering effect on one's productivity often associated with depression, low self-esteem, guilt

and inadequacy,3 it can also be considered a wise response to certain demands that could present

risky or negative outcomes or require waiting for new information to arrive.4

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Procrastination will always begin in the mind which can affect the students in terms of

academic performance, physical, mental and psychological. It is normal to feel that way

particularly at certain times but it will become a crucial problem if the attitude and the mind are

out of control. Procrastination can be considered a serious problem in schools which is closely

related to some of the disciplinary problems that need a cautious action. Students of this day love

to spend their time doing their hobbies and letting their spare time be as relaxing as it is by

consuming all the time that is left for a day.5

Student’s awareness of procrastination may help correct problems before they build up.

One can only assume that if a student develops this, then the act of procrastination may become

such a strong habit that it will be difficult to break in later years. Procrastination may involve a

set of work such as homework or projects. Procrastination may be a ploy used by a student to

protect perceived level of self-worth. The final usually accounts for a greater period of time than

that used for studying.5

Procrastination is often confused with laziness, but they are very different. It is an active

process that chooses to do something else instead of the task that any person should be doing. In

contrast, laziness suggests apathy, inactivity and unwillingness to act.6 Procrastination is a

challenge that has faced at one point or another. For as long as humans have been around, they

have been struggling with delaying, avoiding and procrastinating on issues that matters to them. 5

It is defined as the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished. 7 It could be further

stated as a habitual delay of starting or finishing a task despite its negative consequence.8

Academic procrastination can be regarded as behavioral, affective and cognitive

phenomenon which results from an individual’s fear of failure and task averseness (Solomon &
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Rothblum, 1984). This research is essential because procrastination may occur and can be severe

that is disastrous to students. It will affect not only the way they think but also their performance

in school.8

Statement of the Problem

What is the relationship between procrastination and gender in terms of academic

performance of first year Psychology students of Ateneo de Naga University?

Hypothesis of the Study

This study will assume that there is a relationship between procrastination and

gender in terms of academic performance of BS Psychology first year students of Ateneo

De Naga University.

Review of Related Literature

Study shows that procrastination is variously described as harmful, innocuous, or even

beneficial two longitudinal studies examined procrastination among students (Dianne M. Tice,

Roy F. Baumeister, 1997). Procrastinators also received lower grades on all assignments.

Procrastination thus appears to be a self-defeating behavior pattern marked by short-term

benefits and long-term costs. The result of the investigation includes the fact that procrastinators

end up producing inferior work.9 Procrastination is known to have a bad reputation. It can affect

the students’ way of thinking and academics positively or negatively depending on the person.

Procrastination affects the respondents’ grade negatively. The more the student procrastinates,

the more they are prone to lower marks on grades. (Teh, Joselyne R., Luquing, Brixter C.,
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(2019). 10
Nashleen Salazar, 2017 About, Inc. (Maxpreps) stated that procrastinators find

themselves putting off important work until the day before it is due, choosing instead to spend

their time on Netflix binges, YouTube marathons, and other miscellaneous distractions. They

ignore impending deadlines and submit assignments at the last minute. Many would attribute this

to the ease with which they get distracted, or to human nature, yet this trend seems to be on the

rise. Not only does this affect student performance on assessments, it also decreases

effectiveness and compromises both mental and physical health.11

In contrast to the researches mentioned above, Joseph R. Ferrari (2008) concluded that it

is possible that procrastination may be related to an inability to stay focused on a task and a need

for frequent sensory stimulation. As a result, the feverish excitement and pressure that results

when a deadline looms can arguably enhance performance.2

Carla M. Mandap (2016) explored the differences in procrastination behaviors among the

students in terms of gender, academic courses, level of performance and level of academic self-

efficacy. Results revealed gender differences in procrastination where male students

procrastinate more than the female students. No significant difference in procrastination score

was found when students were grouped according to type of academic course and level of

performance. Procrastination is very common in the university where students face a multitude

of academic requirements such as examinations, assignments and research works. Individuals

may procrastinate for various reasons. In terms of gender, the study found a significant

difference on the level of procrastination of male and female students. 8 Findings have been

reported that procrastination is mostly observed in male students (Khan, et al., 2014; Mussarat
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Jabeen Kha, 2014; Balkis and Duru, 2009; Prohaska, Morrill, Atiles & Perez, 2000). Male

students showed higher procrastination scores because of dislike of activities and perceived

difficulty of accomplishing a task.12

Gender based studies on procrastination demonstrated that female students

procrastinate more frequently (Washington, 2004; Rodarte-Luna & Sherry, 2008).13

Another group of studies reported that gender has no effect on the

procrastination behavior. Ozer and Ferrari (2011) found no-significant difference

between male and female students on academic procrastination14

Synthesis of the State of the Art

The preceding related literature and studies pointed out ideas which gave the researchers

needed insights about the relationship between procrastination and gender, especially the

involvement of students’ academic performance. Over the years, there has been a remarkable

development in explaining procrastination in the academic setting. Studies explored the

differences in procrastination behaviours among the students in terms of gender, academic

courses, level of performance and level of academic self-efficiency. Procrastinators also received

lower grades on all assignments. Procrastination thus appears to be a self-defeating behaviour

pattern marked by short-term benefits and long-term costs (Carla Mandap, 2016).8

The present study recognizes the need to continue addressing the students’ struggles

which are not directly observed in the classroom as affected by the current academic setting.

Currently, there are limited numbers of published studies regarding the procrastination habits of
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the Filipino students and the relationship between procrastination and gender in terms of

academic performance. This research attempts to explore procrastination levels among university

students and further aims to examine differences in procrastination behaviors of the students

when they are grouped according to gender and level of performance.

Theoretical Framework

Education is one of the ways to change life, change values, and change the fate of one’s

individual. Procrastination can be considered a serious problem in schools which is closely

related to some of the disciplinary problems that need a cautious action. This study was

anchored on the point of view and theories of the following well-known authorities which are

closely relevant to the researcher’s study.

Temporal Motivation Theory by Piers Steel and Cornelius J. Konig (2007) states that

this theory, represented as the equation, suggests that behaviour is driven by ‘utility’, the

characteristic of a task which determines how desirable it is to an individual. It is assumed that

the individual will always choose to engage in the behaviour with the most utility, and that the

utility of behaviours will change over time, thus influencing behaviour (Steel & Konig, 2006;

Steel, 2007). Applying the theory to the example above (assuming that the act of getting a good

grade on the writing task holds superior utility to that of the alternatives (though both are

relatively high), but also that the benefits of a good grade are long-term, and thus not

immediately realizable (reducing its utility), but the benefits of the alternatives are immediate

(whether it be video games, socializing, etc.).15

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The Action Control Theory is another theory that can be applied to procrastination is that

of Julius Khul (1984)’s ‘Action Control Theory’ (ACT). It states that certain interfering (or

inappropriate) mental processes cause the deficiency in an individual’s ability to choose courses

of action and maintain behaviour. In other words, the individual may have the motivation and

skills to complete a task, but various forces, both internal and external, provide competing

alternatives to the ones that would lead to solving the task. Mental processes that naturally allow

for the individual to address these alternatives, and maintain motivation towards the completion

of a task (Khul, 1984)16, but in procrastinators, more often than not, these are not working

properly. Therefore, in the case of Johnny, the problem is that of maintenance of motivation

towards finishing the task (compared to the appraisal-anxiety-avoidance theory, which

emphasizes the role of self-efficacy, this theory emphasizes self-regulation (Lazarus & Folkman,

1984)17.

Conceptual Framework

The Relationship Between

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Procrastination and Gender in

Terms of Academic
Performance of BS Psychology
First Year Students of
Ateneo de Naga University

Temporal Motivation Theory The Action Control Theory

(Piers Steel and Cornelius J. Konig, (Julius Khul, 1984)

2007)

Figure 1. Theoretical Paradigm

The focus of this study was undertaken by the following conceptual framework shown in

Figure 2. which has a fourth-part process: the input, process, output and feedback.

a.) Input

It will be the 50 randomly-selected BS Psychology first year students of Ateneo De Naga

University.

b.) Process

The research process includes the gathering of all data needed in knowing the

Relationship between Procrastination and Gender in Terms of Academic Performance of BS

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Psychology First Year Students of Ateneo de Naga University such as researching information,

conducting surveys and interpreting the gathered facts and information.

c.) Output

The output of this study is the Relationship between Procrastination and Gender in

Terms of Academic Performance of BS Psychology First Year Students of Ateneo de Naga

University.

d.) Feedback

The feedback is provided so that the researchers can further understand the rationale of

the Relationship between Procrastination and Gender in Terms of Academic Performance of BS

Psychology First Year Students of Ateneo de Naga University based on the outcome of the

study.
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CORRELATIONAL

DESCRIPTIVE METHOD

QUESTIONNAIRE
50 RANDOMLY SELECTED
BS PSYCHOLOGY STATISTICAL TOOLS
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS ● FREQUENCY COUNT
(SY 2020-2021) ● PERCENTAGE
● WEIGHTED MEAN
● LIKERT SCALE
● MEAN
● RANKING METHOD

The Relationship Between

Procrastination and Gender in
FEEDBACK Terms of Academic Performance
of BS Psychology First Year
Students of Ateneo de Naga
University

Figure 2. Conceptual Paradigm

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Significance of the Study

This study will be valuable and significant to students, administrators, parents, teachers,

future researchers and the researchers.

The Students

This research is primarily important to students because it will give them knowledge

about the relationship between procrastination and gender in terms of academic performance.

The Administrators

This research will help the administrators to have better understanding about the

relationship between procrastination and gender in terms of academic performance. They can

also use this research to guide the students accordingly.

The Parents

This inquest will help the parents to have enough information about the relationship

between procrastination and gender in terms of academic performance among their children.

This information will encourage parents to monitor their behavior and academic performance, as

necessary.

The Teachers

This study will help the teachers to gain more facts to discuss to their students about the

relationship between procrastination and gender in terms of academic performance based on the

result of the study. This will also benefit the teachers to be able to understand the nature of

procrastination and its relationship to gender in terms of academic performance and to adapt, to

improvise and to overcome, as necessary.

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The Future Researchers

This study will serve the future researchers as a basis for future research that they will

conduct. The results of this study can serve as a baseline data for developing topics as well as

creating ideas about their topics.

The Researchers

This study will motivate the researchers to accomplish this research successfully. The

results of this study will provide the researchers better knowledge in the given topic and could be

the basis for future research.

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