An exploratory study on adaptive psychopathological risk and problematic use of the web associated with procrastination in university students

Abstract

Procrastination is a growing phenomenon among university students and international research has pointed out that it can affect the quality of students’ achievements, and even their psycho-physical well-being. It has been suggested that, besides manifesting in the academic context, procrastination represents in some subjects a stable trend in various areas of daily life and can persist for the rest of their lives. This study has recruited a convenience sample of N=382 university students in Italy, who were administered through the Pure Procrastination Scale, the Adult Self-Report, the Internet Addiction Test, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. Our results confirmed the association between psychopathological risk, impulsiveness, problematic use of the web and a propensity towards academic procrastination in a sample of university students, providing support for the construction of prevention and intervention programs.