Resumen

MANCHADO PORRAS, Malena  y  HERVIAS ORTEGA, Federico. Procrastination, test anxiety and academic performance on university students. Interdisciplinaria [online]. 2021, vol.38, n.2, pp.242-258. ISSN 1668-7027.  http://dx.doi.org/10.16888/interd.2021.38.2.16.

Procrastination is defined as a behavioral tendency to postpone tasks that, because of their unmotivating or tedious characteristics, are not attractive to the performer, and whose delay can lead to negative consequences. This is the behavior of delaying responsibilities, being aware of their importance and the repercussions of the delay. These consequences can affect the personal, social, occupational and academic spheres of individuals. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of academic procrastination and test anxiety on academic performance, as well as the relationship between the two variables. In this way, the aim is to achieve a better understanding of the links between the three variables, which will serve as a theoretical basis for preventing and intervening in the negative repercussions of procrastination. To this end, an investigation has been carried out with 201 college students, using the German Test Anxiety Inventory (GTAI-A), the Academic Procrastination Scale (EPA), and a record of the qualifications obtained by the participants collected through a self-report. This is a correlational design that does not include experimental manipulation of variables or randomization of the sample, so the aim is not to establish causal relationships but to determine the direction and strength of the associations between variables. The results reveal the presence of academic procrastination and test anxiety in university students. Specifically, the majority of participants (45.3 %) reflected a medium level of anxiety, 28.9 % reflected a high level and 25.9 % showed a low level. In the total sample, procrastination showed a mean score of 30.3 points out of 60. As for the relationships of both variables with academic performance, test anxiety shows a negative relationship with academic performance, so higher levels of anxiety are associated with worse grades. Procrastination does not show a significant and direct relationship with grades, but it is related to two anxiety factors (interference and lack of confidence), indirectly affecting academic performance. In addition, significant differences in academic performance have been found based on the different anxiety levels identified (χ2(2,201) = 16.929; p = .001), with the high anxiety group obtaining a lower mean score (M = 5.74; SD = 1.27). This supports the hypothesis that test anxiety is negatively associated with academic performance. Moreover, it has been found that comparing the medium and low anxiety groups, the differences are not significant, but comparing each of them with the high anxiety group they are. Therefore, significant differences in the grades only appear when the level of anxiety is high. That is, a moderate level of anxiety is adaptive, and only becomes detrimental if it becomes high. In conclusion, to prevent and intervene in academic underachievement and associated psychosocial problems, university psychological services should consider the influence of test anxiety, procrastination and other cognitive, behavioral, motivational and emotional variables. According to this study, intervention in test anxiety is a central aspect, as it has a direct effect on academic performance. In the same way, procrastinating behaviors can be intervened, as they interfere indirectly in academic outcomes, being associated with cognitive manifestations of test anxiety. The relative weight of the different variables associated with academic achievement varies according to each student, so that an individualized approach to these types of problems would increase the levels of effectiveness and efficiency in the care provided by university psychological services. Finally, the need for more research to identify the factors associated with low academic performance and the relationships between them is highlighted, in order to facilitate the design of effective interventions for different student profiles.

Palabras clave : test anxiety; procrastination; academic performance; university students.

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