Procrastination behavior (PB) negatively impacts individuals’ daily lives. Based on existing evidence that states executive function (EF) problems and internalizing symptoms (IS) are related to PB, this study examined IS, EF problems, and sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms in adolescents, and their relationships with PB and gender.
Methods
The sample consisted of 78 adolescents (56.4% female) aged 12–18 years. Participants and their families completed the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED), Barkley Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale-Children and Adolescent (BSCTS-CA), General and Academic Procrastination Scales, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Results
The scores for academic PB were significantly positively associated with the CDI, SCARED, subscales comprising the metacognitive index of the BRIEF, and all four subscales of the SDQ but not with SCT. General and academic PB yielded similar results except for the conduct problems. Academic PB and EF problems were more prevalent in males. Lack of organizational skills, a part of EF; IS; and attention problems were associated with academic and general PB in girls and boys.
Conclusion
Adolescents who have difficulty organizing their work and attention problems may have higher PB.
AssociationA. P. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Association Arlington.
2.
BarkleyR. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.
3.
BarkleyR. A. (2013). Distinguishing sluggish cognitive tempo from ADHD in children and adolescents: Executive functioning, impairment, and comorbidity. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 42(2), 161–173.
4.
BeckerS. P.LeopoldD. R.BurnsG. L.JarrettM. A.LangbergJ. M.MarshallS. A. (2016). The internal, external, and diagnostic validity of sluggish cognitive tempo: A meta-analysis and critical review. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(3), 163–178.
5.
BeutelM. E.KleinE. M.AufenangerS.BrählerE.DreierM.MüllerK. W. (2016). Procrastination, distress and life satisfaction across the age range–a German representative community study. Plos One, 11(2), e0148054.
6.
BirmaherB.BrentD. A.ChiappettaL.BridgeJ.MongaS.BaugherM. (1999). Psychometric properties of the screen for child anxiety related emotional disorders (SCARED): A replication study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(10), 1230–1236.
7.
ÇakıcıD. Ç. (2003). Lise ve üniversite öğrencilerinde genel erteleme ve akademik erteleme davranışının incelenmesi. Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü.
8.
DewitteS.LensW. (2000). Procrastinators lack a broad action perspective. European Journal of Personality, 14(2), 121–140.
9.
DewitteS.SchouwenburgH. C. (2002). Procrastination, temptations, and incentives: The struggle between the present and the future in procrastinators and the punctual. European Journal of Personality, 16(6), 469–489.
10.
EngberdingM.FringsE.HçckerA.WolfJ.RistF. (2011). Is procrastination a symptom or a disorder like other axis-1-disorders in the DSM? Steps towards delineating a case definition. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
11.
FerrariJ. R. (2001). Procrastination as self‐regulation failure of performance: Effects of cognitive load, self‐awareness, and time limits on ‘working best under pressure. European Journal of Personality, 15(5), 391–406.
12.
FerrariJ. R.JohnsonJ. L.McCownW. G. (1995). Procrastination and task avoidance: Theory, research, and treatment. Springer Science & Business Media.
13.
FerrariJ. R.SandersS. E. (2006). Procrastination rates among adults with and without AD/HD: A pilot study. Counseling & Clinical Psychology Journal, 3(1).
14.
FiratS.BolatG. U.GulH.BaytuncaM. B.KardasB.AysevA. (2018). Barkley child attention scale validity and reliability study. Dusunen Adam The Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences, 31(3), 284.
15.
GarnerA. A.MarceauxJ. C.MrugS.PattersonC.HodgensB. (2010). Dimensions and correlates of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and sluggish cognitive tempo. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(8), 1097–1107.
16.
GioiaG. A.IsquithP. K.GuyS. C.KenworthyL. (2000). Test review behavior rating inventory of executive function. Child Neuropsychology, 6(3), 235–238.
17.
GoodmanR. (1997). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38(5), 581–586.
18.
GüvenirT.ÖzbekA.BaykaraB.ArkarH.ŞentürkB.İncekaşS. (2008). Güçler ve güçlükler anketi'nin (gga) Türkçe uyarlamasinin psikometrik özellikleri. Turkish Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 15, 65–74.
19.
HartmanC. A.WillcuttE. G.RheeS. H.PenningtonB. F. (2004). The relation between sluggish cognitive tempo and DSM-IV ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32(5), 491–503.
20.
Karaceylan ÇakmakçıF. (2004). Çocuklarda anksiyete bozukluklarını tarama ölçeği geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Yayınlanmamış tıpta uzmanlık tezi, Kocaeli Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Çocuk ve Ergen Ruh Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları ABD. Kocaeli.
21.
KlingsieckK. B. (2013). Procrastination in different life-domains: Is procrastination domain specific?Current Psychology, 32(2), 175–185.
22.
KovacsM. (1981). Rating scales to assess depression in school-aged children. Acta Paedopsychiatrica: International Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 46(5-6), 305–315.
23.
KoyluS. N. (2010). Yönetici işlevlere yönelik davranış değerlendirme envanterinin (yiydde) türkçe çevirisi, güvenilirlik ve geçerlilik çalışması: İstanbul Üniversitesi.
24.
LeeS.BurnsG. L.SnellJ.McBurnettK. (2014). Validity of the sluggish cognitive tempo symptom dimension in children: Sluggish cognitive tempo and ADHD-inattention as distinct symptom dimensions. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 42(1), 7–19.
25.
McBurnettK.PfiffnerL. J.FrickP. J. (2001). Symptom properties as a function of ADHD type: An argument for continued study of sluggish cognitive tempo. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29(3), 207–213.
26.
NiermannH. C.ScheresA. (2014). The relation between procrastination and symptoms of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in undergraduate students. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 23(4), 411–421.
27.
OyB. (1991). Cocuklar icin Depresyon Olcegi gecerlik ve guvenirlik calismasi. Turk. Psikiyatri. Dergisi, 2, 137–140.
28.
PennyA. M.WaschbuschD. A.KleinR. M.CorkumP.EskesG. (2009). Developing a measure of sluggish cognitive tempo for children: Content validity, factor structure, and reliability. Psychological Assessment, 21(3), 380.
29.
ShafranR.MansellW. (2001). Perfectionism and psychopathology: A review of research and treatment. Clinical Psychology Review, 21(6), 879–906.
30.
SiroisF. M.Melia-GordonM. L.PychylT. A. (2003). I'll look after my health, later”: An investigation of procrastination and health. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(5), 1167–1184.
31.
SteadR.ShanahanM. J.NeufeldR. W. (2010). I’ll go to therapy, eventually”: Procrastination, stress and mental health. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(3), 175–180.
32.
SteelP. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65.
33.
StöberJ.JoormannJ. (2001). Worry, procrastination, and perfectionism: Differentiating amount of worry, pathological worry, anxiety, and depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 25(1), 49–60.
34.
Van EerdeW. (2003). A meta-analytically derived nomological network of procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 35(6), 1401–1418.
35.
van EerdeW. (2015). Time management and procrastination The psychology of planning in organizations (pp. 328–349). Routledge.
36.
WonS.ShirleyL. Y. (2018). Relations of perceived parental autonomy support and control with adolescents’ academic time management and procrastination. Learning and Individual Differences, 61, 205–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.12.001.
