Abstract
The purpose of this research was to investigate the extent to which procrastination occurs in first-year medical students and the reasons for this behavior. It was a cross-sectional study conducted with 388 medical students from a public university in Mexico City. The Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students (PASS) was used. A descriptive analysis of procrastination behaviors and the reasons for their manifestation was carried out using frequencies and percentages. On the other hand, a comparative analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test for sex, age, and school of origin. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni tests were performed for high school grade point average, mother's education, and the people with whom the students lived when applying the instrument. About 30% of the students reported postponing homework or studying, while 27% or less postpone other activities (e.g., tutoring or academic paperwork). As for the reasons why students delay their chores, the ones that stand out are: poor time management, feeling overwhelmed, laziness, frustration (because they think the task takes too much time), anxiety about the evaluation, perfectionism, and difficulty in making decisions when performing the task. As a result of the comparative analysis, it was found that younger people tend to procrastinate less than older people (Z= -2.42; p= .016) when postponing their homework. Males tend to do it more than females as a way of experiencing excitement when rebelling against control (Z= -2.76; p= .006) and taking risks (Z= -2.32; p= .020). However, female students tend to procrastinate more than males when they felt overwhelmed by academic work and the lack of time to carry it out (Z= -2.47; p= .013). In addition, those who attended private schools during high school tend to procrastinate more than those who attended public academies when they have doubts and require assistance but find it difficult to ask the teacher or other people (Z= -2.33; p= .020). In conclusion, the results of this work will help to know the motivation for postponing academic activities and the influences associated with delaying these responsibilities, and therefore, to develop proposals on dealing with bad practices.
Highlights
During higher education, it is frequently to see students having difficulties turning in their work on time, preparing for their exams, and accomplishing all their academic requirements
69.3% were female, 94.3% were under 18 years old at the time the research was conducted, and 94.6% came from public high schools; 59.8% lived with both parents, 21.6% with one of them, 7.5% with another relative, 3.1% with classmates and 8% lived alone
Of 400 students who agreed to participate in this research, 388 students were part of the sample since they entirely responded to the instrument applied
Summary
It is frequently to see students having difficulties turning in their work on time, preparing for their exams, and accomplishing all their academic requirements. Most students who do not have those responsibilities postpone their homework and school obligations by spending time with other activities such as video games, social networks, or other distractions. As time progresses and school assignments increase, some students feel overwhelmed by academic requirements, making procrastination appear or accentuate. This situation comes with the adolescent stage where they are American Journal of Applied Psychology 2021; 10(3): 82-88 going through and whose characteristics may reinforce negative and oppositional attitudes
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