Positive Effects of Active Procrastination Behavior on Attitudes and Performance - Article Example

Rethinking Procrastination: Positive Effects of “Active” Procrastination Behavior on Attitudes and Performance – Article Critique of Submission Variables 1. What is (are) the independent variables? The independent variables of the study are academic procrastination and active procrastination, where active procrastination can be identified as an opposite of passive procrastination because the procrastinator has the ability to execute his/her decisions in a manner which is timely (Chu and Choi, 2005). 2. What is (are) the dependent variables? The dependent variables of the study are 1) time structure 2) purposive use of time 3) perceived time control 4) self-efficacy 5) extrinsic motivation 6) intrinsic motivation 7) task coping 8) emotion coping and 9) avoidance coping 10) stress 11) life satisfaction 12) depression and 13) GPA (Chu and Choi, 2005). 3. Are there any important variables that might have been included but were not? If so, list them and label them as to type. From the point of view of the sample size, which comprised of 230 undergraduate students, the researchers could have taken into account the association between academic and active procrastination during various periods of the semester. For example, this dependent variable could have been termed as task avoidance and peak periods to observe the extent to which students procrastinate when the deadline for an assignment, a presentation or a quiz is about to close or when finals week is about to begin. Accordingly, the dependent variable of task avoidance could have enabled the researchers to identify the specific periods during a semester when procrastination is most likely to be practiced by students. This outcome would have enabled the researchers to refine implications for future research that is conducted on a sample size of university undergraduate students. Hypotheses 1. Cite the hypotheses, if any, tested in this study. The hypotheses that were tested in the study are as follows: H1. “Both nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will report more time structure, more purposive use of time, and greater perception of control of time than will passive procrastinators. Nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators are not different on these dimensions” (Chu and Choi, 2005). H2. “Both nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will report stronger self-efficacy beliefs than will passive procrastinators. Nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators are not different on this dimension” (Chu and Choi, 2005). H3a. “Both nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will report a higherlevel of extrinsic motivation than that which passive procrastinators will report. Nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators are not different on this dimension” (Chu and Choi, 2005). H3b. “Nonprocrastinators will report a higher level of intrinsic motivation than those that active procrastinators and passive procrastinators will report” (Chu and Choi, 2005). H4. “In stressful situations, nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will use task-oriented coping strategies, and passive procrastinators will use either emotion- or avoidance-oriented coping strategies” (Chu and Choi, 2005). H5. “Both nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will report a lower level of stress and depression, greater life satisfaction, and a higher GPA than passive procrastinators. Nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators are not different on these dimensions” (Chu and Choi, 2005). 2. Rewrite the hypotheses in your own words. (If there is no explicit hypothesis in the study, write what it should have been.) H1. The effective use of time in terms of management, direction and goal-attainment will be identified amongst both the nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators in comparison with passive procrastinators. Thus, nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will share similar results with regards to this dependent variable. H2. The possession of ideas that are based on self-efficacy would be greater for nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators in comparison with passive procrastinators. Thus, nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will share similar results with regards to this dependent variable. H3a. The answers of active procrastinators and nonprocrastinators will be characterized by a greater degree of extrinsic motivation in comparison with the answers of passive procrastinators. Thus, nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will share similar results with regards to this dependent variable. H3b. The answers of nonprocrastinators will be characterized by a greater degree of intrinsic motivation in comparison with the answers of active procrastinators and passive procrastinators. H4. The preference of task-coping strategies would be different for nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators and passive procrastinators. Both nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators as they would be inclined towards the adoption of task-oriented tactics to deal with stress while, passive procrastinators would be inclined towards the utilization of emotion or avoidance orientation. H5. Nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will experience positive outcomes in their life in comparison with passive procrastinators, because the former would deal with minimal stress and depression and will be satisified with their personal and academic life. Thus, nonprocrastinators and active procrastinators will share similar results with regards to this dependent variable. 3. For each hypothesis, answer the following: Is it supported by sufficient literature or argument? (If not, offer specific suggestions.) H1. Yes, this hypothesis is supported by sufficient assessment of research and literature. H2. This hypothesis lacks the support of up-to-date research and should be supported by research that is dated not more than ten years prior to the publication of the study. H3a. and b. Yes, this hypothesis is supported by sufficient assessment of research and literature. H4. This hypothesis should be evidenced by significant analysis to depict the variations in selection of stress coping strategies. None of the existing literature that is referenced in the analysis advocates the differences in stress coping preferences. H5. Yes, this hypothesis is supported by sufficient assessment of research and literature. Supportive Material 1. In a sentence or two, what is the context of the problem discussed in the literature? Students are a group that views procrastination as a significant issue in their academic life. An analysis of the outcomes of adopting passive and active procrastination can aid students to benefit from the latter and enhance educational performance. 2. Literature review a) What is the magnitude (see guidelines) of the literature review? The study does not dedicate an exclusive section for the assessment of prior research and studies that have been conducted on the topic; however, the analysis of other scholarly work is comprehensive. b) How empirical and up-to-date is it? The study lacks the incorporation of recent data that has been generated in the decade prior to the publication of the article. For example, only one scholarly work that has been referenced in the study is from 2004 while, no works belong to the year 2003. The study features three works from 2001 and none from 2002. However, the researches that have been used are empirical in nature. c) Is the literature section well organized (introduction, subheadings, summary)? The study does not feature a section that has been exclusively dedicated for an analysis of literature such as a literature review. However, a summary of other associated scholarly work has been provided in the beginning of the study. d) Try to summarize the literature section in a sentence or two. The literature that has incorporated for the purposes of this research has been referenced by the scholars throughout the work. However, the incorporation of prior scholarly works’ findings is not organized in a systematic manner in the form of introduction, body and summary. Operational Definitions 1. How did the author operationalize each of the independent variables? The researchers operationalized academic procrastination by using the procrastination measure that has been developed by Ferrari, Johnson and McCown (1995) and Schouwenburg (1995). Active procrastination was operationalized using a scale constituting of 12 elements that utilized the extraction of a principal component by the means of varimax rotation (Chu and Choi, 2005). 2. How did the author operationalize each of the dependent variables? The dependent variables were operationalized as follows: Patterns of time use were operationalized through the Time Structure Questionnaire developed by Bond and Feather (1988). Perception of time control was operationalized by using the recommendations of Macan et al. (1990) that featured two elements. Self-efficacy belief was conceptualized through the integration of the Generalized Efficacy Scale produced by Schwarzer and Jerusalem (1995). Motivational orientation was operationalized by using the Academic Motivation Questionnaire by Shia (1998). Stress coping strategy was operationalized using the Proactive Coping Inventory developed by Greenglass et al. (1999). Stress was conceptualized by using a scale constituting of four items put forth by MacArthur and MacArthur (2001). Depression was conceptualized using a scale of four elements provided by Sheikh and Yesavage (1982). Life satisfaction was also conceptualized using a four-item scale. The level of academic performance was gauged through the respondent’s GPA. Research Design 1. What type of research design was used? (i.e., true experimental, quasi-experimental, ex-post-facto, correlation, regression, etc.). A research that was based on regression was used. 2. Discuss the internal reliability/validity of the design. Chu and Choi (2005) justify the selection of a regression analysis because of the continuous nature of the independent variables that could not have been explored accurately if the researchers only conducted an extensive comparative assessment of each dependent variable. This feature enhanced the study’s internal validity and reliability of results because the research design took into account the type of the independent variables and followed a method of analysis that best suited the same. 3. How externally valid does the design appear? The research was able to generalize findings with respect to the target by population by identifying their responses to and degrees of procrastination. Thus, this feature enhanced the design’s external validity. 4. Statistical analyses. What statistical tests were used? The one-way analysis of variance, that is also termed as one-way ANOVA was chosen as a preferred method of statistical assessment. Discussion/Conclusion 1. Briefly, precisely, and accurately describe the findings of the study. The research of Chu and Choi (2005) concluded that despite of sharing a common factor with passive procrastinators, active procrastinators are capable of generating positive outcomes that are similar to the results that are achieved by nonprocrastinators. Therefore, passive procrastination can be termed as ‘negative’ while, active procrastination is in fact ‘positive’. 2. Does the article include an adequate and clear summary of the results? Yes, the article summarizes the statistical conclusions and the qualitative aspect of the conclusion in an adequate and appropriate manner. 3. Briefly state a conclusion that could be drawn from the study and a recommendation you would make based on that conclusion. It is important for students, teachers and parents alike to realize that procrastination is not always a detrimental action that is bound to lead to negative academic consequences. Therefore, before a conscious effort to eliminate procrastination is initiated, it is important to identify whether one is an active or a passive procrastinator, as active procrastination is responsible for leading to positive performance, eliminating its presence when the student most likely is benefitting from it can prove to be negative. Reference Chun Chu, A. H., & Choi, J. N. (2005). Rethinking procrastination: Positive effects of" active" procrastination behavior on attitudes and performance. The Journal of Social Psychology, 145(3), 245-264. Read More