Term of Award

Spring 2014

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (restricted to Georgia Southern)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeff Klibert

Committee Member 1

Mike Nielsen

Committee Member 2

Bryant Smalley

Committee Member 3

Jacob Warren

Abstract

To date, research has suggested that multiple dimensions of procrastination exist; however, there are no known empirical examinations that confirm this assertion. The purpose of the study was to design and psychometrically examine a multidimensional measure of procrastination. The current study was divided into two phases. During the first phase, a 70-item version of the measure was evaluated with a sample of 338 undergraduate students. Items were removed from the Multidimensional Procrastination Assessment for College Students (MPACS) based on reliability estimates. The four dimensions of the scale (self-regulation procrastination, performance pressure procrastination, emotional instability procrastination, rebellious procrastination) were internally consistent with alphas estimates ranging from .85 to .90. During phase 2, 576 participants completed the 56 item MPACS and a diverse range of affective and characterlogical measures. The dimensions of MPACS were internally consistent with alphas ranging from .92 to .94. Correlational analyses provided evidence of convergent and discriminant validity as each dimension was related to relevant constructs in the expected directions. Fisher’s r to z analyses suggested that the MPACS is better understood as a measure of procrastination for college students, rather than a measure of academic procrastination. As the first measure of procrastination styles, the MPACS functions as a new tool for assessing students who may be at risk for academic difficulties in the college setting. Furthermore, the MPACS may serve as a method of refining and directing the treatment of students who struggle with procrastination. Limitations in the current study with suggestions for future research are discussed.

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