Vicious and virtuous relationships between procrastination and emotions: an investigation of the reciprocal relationship between academic procrastination and learning-related anxiety and hope

Although cross-sectional studies depict (negative) emotions as both antecedents and consequences of trait procrastination, longitudinal studies examining reciprocal relationships between procrastination and emotions are scant. Yet, investigating reciprocal relationships between procrastination and emotions within long-term frameworks can shed light on the mechanisms underlying these relationships. Additionally, the role of positive emotions concerning procrastination is largely unattended to in the procrastination–emotion research; albeit, this perspective can inform preventive and intervention measures against procrastination. In the present study, we explored reciprocal associations between trait academic procrastination on the one hand and trait-like learning-related anxiety and hope on the other hand over one semester. Overall, N = 789 students in German universities participated in a three-wave online panel study. Participants responded to questions on academic procrastination as well as learning-related anxiety and hope at the beginning (T1), middle (T2), and end (T3) of the lecture period of the semester in approximately 6-week measurement intervals. A latent cross-lagged panel model was used to test the hypotheses. After accounting for autoregressive effects, our results showed that academic procrastination at T1 positively predicted learning-related anxiety at T2. In contrast, academic procrastination at T1 negatively predicted learning-related hope at T2, which in turn negatively predicted academic procrastination at T3. Our results highlight positive emotions (e.g., hope) as also significant factors for procrastination and suggest them as possible “protective factors” against procrastination. Boosting positive emotions as part of interventions against procrastination could potentially help reduce the tendency to procrastinate

Study satisfaction among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal development and personal-contextual predictors

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges the well-being and academic success of many students. Yet, little is known about students’ study satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic, a multilayered construct which accounts for students’ subjective cognitive well-being and academic success. Besides, previous studies on study satisfaction are mostly cross-sectional and hardly consider the distinct subdimensions of this construct. Therefore, our main goal in this study was to shed light on the understudied development of the subdimensions of study satisfaction (i.e., satisfaction with study content, conditions of studying, and coping with study-related stress) in two semesters amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we examined how particular personal (i.e., gender, age, GPA, intrinsic motivation, motivational cost, and academic procrastination) and contextual (i.e., loneliness) factors are related to these subdimensions. We conducted two panel studies with convenience and purposeful samples of university students in Germany (Nstudy1 = 837; Nstudy2 = 719). Participants responded online to questions on each of the subdimensions of study satisfaction at the beginning, middle, and end of each semester but responded to measures of personal and contextual factors only at the beginning of each semester. In both studies, manifest growth curve models indicated a decrease in all subdimensions of study satisfaction as the semester progressed. Generally, gender (male) and intrinsic motivation were positive predictors but age (younger students), motivational cost, and loneliness were negative predictors of different subdimensions of study satisfaction – particularly satisfaction with study content. Overall, motivational costs and loneliness were the most consistent predictors of all subdimensions of study satisfaction across both studies. Our findings provide support for the understanding that study satisfaction could diminish in the face of challenging situations such as in this pandemic. The present study also highlights certain personal and contextual factors that relate to study satisfaction and calls for intensive research into the multidimensional construct of study satisfaction

The intraindividual co-occurrence of anxiety and hope in procrastination episodes during exam preparations: An experience sampling study

Gadosey CK, Schnettler T, Scheunemann A, Fries S, Grunschel C. The intraindividual co-occurrence of anxiety and hope in procrastination episodes during exam preparations: An experience sampling study. Learning and Individual Differences. 2021;88: 102013.Previous studies have shown that students procrastinate during exam preparation phase. Until now, only a few studies have investigated emotions that accompany academic procrastination in real-life situations. Further, there is a lack of studies that investigate the co-occurrence of both positive and negative emotions during procrastination episodes although both emotions can co-occur and interact within a person. We therefore examined how within-person experiences of exam-related emotions (i.e., anxiety and hope), learning-related confusion, and between-person factors (i.e., trait procrastination, gender, age, semester, and relevant exam) relate to state procrastination of learning during preparations for a relevant end-of-semester exam. A total of N = 93 students participated in an experience sampling procedure for 10 days prior to the relevant exam. As expected, multilevel logistic regression analyses showed that state procrastination was associated with higher anxiety, lower hope, and higher trait procrastination. The association between hope and state procrastination was weaker when anxiety was higher. Confusion and demographic variables had no significant relationship with state procrastination. Interestingly, these emotional experiences related to state procrastination were not comparable to delay per se suggesting that the two phenomena are distinct. Our research highlights the dynamic interplay of anxiety and hope during procrastination episodes

University students' profiles of burnout symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and their relation to concurrent study behavior and experiences

Turhan D, Schnettler T, Scheunemann A, et al. University students' profiles of burnout symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and their relation to concurrent study behavior and experiences. International journal of educational research. 2022;116: 102081.Burnout symptoms are prevalent among university students. This study examined students' understudied profiles of burnout symptoms and their relation to procrastination, dropout intentions, and study- and life satisfaction. We used cross-sectional data from two online-studies conducted in Germany in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic (N study1=597, N study2=857). Latent profile analyses indicated three profiles in both studies: (1) well-functioning, (2) moderately exhausted-inefficacious, and (3) burned-out. Most students belonged to Profiles 1 and 2 with low to moderate burnout symptoms. Students in Profile 3 reported the highest symptoms, most procrastination, strongest dropout intentions, and lowest study- and life satisfaction. The distinct profiles broaden knowledge about intra-individual differences in students' burnout experiences and underpin the need for tailored interventions. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved