The Influence of Personality Types on Academic Procrastination Among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

ABSTRACT Procrastination on academic tasks is a common problem affecting learning and achievement of university students globally. In Western and developed countries, personality types have been implicated in academic procrastination, but such evidence has not been adduced within the Ghanaian context. This study was therefore conducted to explore the possible role of personality types on academic procrastination among undergraduate students. Two hundred (200) students (Mean age = 20.78 years; SD = 2.27) conveniently sampled completed the Academic Procrastination Scale and the Big Five Personality Inventory. Correlational analysis showed that academic procrastination was negatively associated with openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness but positively related to neuroticism. Further standard multiple regression analysis showed only two dimensions of the personality traits: Neuroticism and openness made significant prediction of academic procrastination. Neuroticism made the strongest unique predictor of academic procrastination (β = 0.23; t = 2.74; p < .01) followed by openness (β = – 0.20; t = −2.18; p < .05). The current study provides important information needed for the development of intervention programs that will help reduce academic procrastination among students, with specific emphasis on implicated personality traits.