Reasons and Effects of Procrastination

KYLA YZABELLE B. MACARAEG

HANNAH THEA B. MANANGAN

KISHA JEWEL J. SORIANO

Introduction

Students make a certain project through a variety of strategies and styles. Their

strategies are sometimes based on their perspective. Others immediately start doing their

project once it is announced by their teacher while others chose to delay doing it and

procrastinate. In this research, the researchers chose to proceed with this topic because

they aim to know the reasons behind and the effects or outcomes of this habit called

procrastination. In Baguio City National High School, researchers observed that many

students procrastinate. There are different types of procrastinators namely The

Perfectionist, this is when a person is overly concerned with not meeting high expectation

and work so hard he/she never finish (or, sometimes, never start); The Dreamer, this are

the types of Procrastinator where a person is great at planning frustrated by the practical

reality of sitting down to do hard work; The Worrier, when a person avoid making

decisions, resist change, and are fearful about the unfamiliar, with that, the “what ifs”gets

in the way; The Crisis-Maker, when a person enjoy the last-minute adrenaline rush and

tell yourself you work best under pressure; The Defier, when a person rebel against

external deadlines and expectations, he might be overt about this, or he might exhibit a

more passive-aggressive kind of defience; The Over Doer, there's too much on a person’s

plate because he can't say no or set appropriate boundaries. As a result, there's never
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enough time to do it all. Procrastination is the process of delaying the completion of tasks

or delaying something that must be done, often because of some reasons, students tend to

delay a certain project then rush things out when due date is nearly coming.

Procrastination has negative effects’, it threatens happiness, and is a stress factor.

There are a lot of research that answers why people procrastinate, according to a

research conducted by Burke, M. (2018) people have occasional time-management issues

or find more pressing projects to work on instead of the undesirable one. However,

chronic procrastination is more complex, and in some cases, evidences of an underlying

mental health concerns such as depression ADHD or anxiety- all are linked to hitches in

executive function.

Researchers have studied the common pattern of procrastination is indulging in

preferable activities to reduce anxiety in the “here and now.” Later, these temporary

benefits are replaced with the added stress of completing the task in a shorter amount of

time, likely resulting in decreased quality in the finished product and an overall increased

stress level and lower personal well-being (Irimia, R. & Gottschling, M., 2016) which

proves that there are negative impacts from students procrastination.

According to a research the impact procrastinators in two main areas: failure of

self-regulation and difficulty managing emotions. When you procrastinate, you have a

temporary lax in this area of executive function, and you’re more focused on feeling

better now (Hansman, G. & Koromyslova, A., 2017). This research tells the researchers

the impact of Procrastinators in two main areas that helps them know the effects

procrastination in their study.

Researchers asked procrastinators to speculate the factors that have led them

down the path of delay, they often answer, “We live in a competitive society! Everyone is

expected to perform perfectly all the time. You just can’t keep up with all that pressure”(

Cherry, K.). The answer of the procrastinators supports this study that procrastination has

cause and effect, for example a student is pressure to do his work which leads him

through procrastination and causes the student to be stressed.

Previous findings on the relationship between procrastination and academic

performance are inconsistent. (Kim, K. R. & Seo, E. H., 2015). Researchers conducted a

meta-analysis of 33 relevant studies involving a total of 38,529 participants to synthesize

these findings. This analysis revealed that procrastination was negatively correlated with

academic performance. The demographic characteristics of participants in individual

studies also affected the observed relationship.

Based on the Self-Determination Theory framework that guided their research, we

know that educational environments that support the three basic needs for autonomy,

competence and relatedness are key. (Lesser, C., 2018). What these authors fail to note,

but outstanding educators do well, is harnessing the need for relatedness to bootstrap

students fulfilling their other needs. Why? Because social needs loom large in our

children’s lives, and a focus on relatedness needs can drive a great deal of success in

meeting other needs. Although some students may easily begin with a focus on their

learning to satisfy autonomy and competence needs, many, if not most, students need to

come at these needs

in conjunction with their powerful relatedness needs. Doing this well is the art of

teaching.
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This study aims to answer the following problems: (1) Why do the students of

Grade 10 students procrastinate? (2) what are the effects of procrastination in the

students’ academic performance?

Through this study, the students will be able to find out the reasons behind the

procrastination of Grade 10 students of Baguio City National High School. This study

will help identify the effects of procrastination on academic performance. This study

will help the students avoid the negative effects of procrastination and help the

procrastinators change their ways or strategies in making a certain school work. For the

students to decrease their level of stress in their academic performance.

Methodology

The researchers employed quantitative as the research design. It discusses

the reasons for procrastination among students and its effects on their academic

performance.

This study involved 100 random students of Grade 10 junior high school at

Baguio City National High School for the school year 2018-2019. In determining the

respondents, the researchers used simple random sampling.

To be able to gather data, the researchers used survey questionnaires that focused

on determining the reasons for procrastination and its effects on the academic

performance of Grade 10 Baguio City National High School students. The research

questionnaire was validated by the research adviser prior to its distribution to the

respondents. Changes made on the questionnaires were immediately corrected by the

researchers. After ensuring the validity of the questionnaires, the researchers floated them

to Grade 10 students of Baguio City National High School. The researchers handed the

questionnaires to the person who is nearest to the door. The researchers also explained

the meaning of procrastination while giving the questionnaires. After the respondents

answered the questionnaires, the researchers immediately collected them from the

participating sections. The researchers collected the papers from the person they asked to

distribute. The researchers also ensured confidentiality of the respondents answers. The

responses from each respondent were tallied and tabulated. After which, the researchers

interpreted the data.

Results and Discussion

Table 1. Reasons of procrastination among students

Reasons Frequency Percentage Rank

I have no motivation. 40 40.00 3

I am a perfectionist. 22 22.00 10

I have low self-confidence. 31 31.00 6

I experience a lot of stress. 35 35.00 5

I am not interested. 28 28.00 7

Most of the time I am lazy. 49 49.00 1

I am afraid of failure. 26 26.00 9

I have poor organizational skill. 23 23.00 8

I often get distracted. 47 47.00 2

I am afraid of the unknown. 11 11.00 11

I am influenced by my peers. 36 36.00 4

Others 1 1.00 12

Table 1 shows the reasons of procrastination among Grade 10 students. The

results show the following reasons why the students procrastinate, where first in rank is

most of the time the students were lazy to do their schoolworks.

It can be visualized from the results that most of the students reasons of

procrastination is that they are lazy most of the time while the least percentage of the

students reason of their procrastination is that they are afraid of the unknown. In addition,

one student specified his answer regarding his procrastination habit, he stated that it is

because he is busy playing with himself, the good way. This student focused on

entertaining himself that he forgot his priorities, this made him procrastinate.

The students are lazy because they are often get distracted by some other things

that they think more important than the schoolworks given by their teachers. Having no

motivation or lack of motivation also causes the students to be lazy and with that the

students will procrastinate. The findings of our research is somehow related in other

research conducted by Esmaeili, N. & Monadi, M. (2016) wherein the main reason of the

students procrastination, based on their study, is the hours of presence in the school and

school environment.

Students habit of being lazy is normal but with this habit, they need to consider

the consequences of their actions. It is possible that students are lazy because of different

reasons that leads them to procrastinate. Being lazy versus being productive is a choice

that we all make, students choose to be lazy, they’re lazy because they feel no

connection to the content they learn (Dege, K., 2018).

It is revealed in the results that the student’s laziness is the major cause of

procrastination, because the students let themselves get distracted since they

think they can rush things out when due date is nearly coming.

Table 2. Effects of procrastination on students

Effects Frequency Percentage Rank

I feel guilty. 39 39.00 4

I am stressed. 50 50.00 1

My self-esteem decreased. 22 22.00 6

I got low grades. 40 40.00 3

I became more frustrated. 38 38.00 5

My outputs’ quality aren’t as good as they 45 45.00 2

Others 0 0 0

Table 2 shows the leading effects of procrastination to students where three of the

aspects were least effects of their procrastination based on the outcome of the percentage

score.

The results show that the major effects of students procrastination is stress,

followed by their outputs low quality, and lastly they got low grades. No grade 10 student

specified other answer than the effects that was listed on the table two.

You won’t be able to meet goals. Procrastination seems to come on with full force

when we entertain the thought of goals, of wanting to achieve or change something. You

might have a strong desire to change but you just can’t seem to take the first step forward.

This is normally really confusing and perplexing; you might find yourself thinking, “Why
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is it so hard to go for something that I want so badly?” Only you can answer that; you’ll

have to explore a little deeper into the resistance. O´Donovan, K. (2018). Revealed in his

study that we set goals because we have a deep desire to better our lives in some way. If

you don’t do this because of procrastination, you destroy the possibility to better your

life. In addition, this study is in agreement with the result of the research data gathered,

that most of the student’s procrastination is because they are afraid of the unknown that

leads them to opportunity loss that they don’t meet their goals.

You will lower your self-esteem. This is one of the vicious circles you might find

yourself in. We tend to procrastinate sometimes because of a low self-esteem, but

procrastinating doesn’t only reinforce this, it makes it even lower. O´Donovan, K. (2018).

When you procrastinate and make decisions from this standpoint, they are almost always

going to be poor decisions because of the place you are coming from.

When you procrastinate, you make decisions based on criteria that most likely

wouldn’t be there if you didn’t procrastinate, like pressure to finally make a decision

because time is running out.

Procrastination causes many problems for high school students. An obvious result

of continued procrastination is a drop in grades and a decline in school success. Students

who do not fully complete assignments and put off crucial studying receive poorer

grades. Procrastination also causes heightened stress. High school students have a heavy

workload and often a busy schedule. Students who let work pile up feel the accumulation

of difficult duties on their shoulders. Putting off work also constantly lowers students’

self-esteem. Procrastinators may feel they simply cannot do the task at hand and feel

insecure about their ability to perform. Levin, Z. (2016).

It is revealed from the results that the procrastination of Grade 10 students, results

to their drop of grades and decreased level of stress.

Procrastination is a behavior that leads to stress, because it makes plans and

wishes fail at what should be the point of fulfillment: theater tickets and vacation

packages sell out before procrastinators get around to calling. Planes take off, deadlines

pass, jobs go to other applicants--the ones who got their resumes in on time.

Conclusion

Based on the results, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) Students

procrastinate because they are lazy most of the time which makes their outputs’ quality to

be low and not as good as they suppose to be. Some people fear success, or do not have

enough self-esteem to feel comfortable with success, and lazyness is a way of sabotaging

themselves, yet other people are ‘lazy’ because they understand their situation as being so

hopeless that they cannot even begin to think through it, let alone do something about it;

(2) one of the top effects, the students are distracted, making them focus on other things

than their school works, high school students often get distracted through their limitless

use of gadgets for surfing online and gaming instead of using those gadgets to research

for their schoolworks. The students being distracted also causes stress during the deadline

of their school works; (3) Student’s other reasons of procrastination is that they have no

motivation in school, family, friends, and environment, which makes them procrastinate

and make them feel guilty in the end. To be successful you need someone or something

to get you motivated, you have to set goals to be able to know the path of your success

and to be motivated. Some students tend to procrastinate because of no motivation Lack

of motivation causes laziness which is the main reason of procrastination among students.

In addition, the conclusions drawn are related to each other.

Recommendations

Based on the findings, the following are highly recommended:

1. Baguio City National High School students should have a research and have

knowledge about procrastination for them to be aware and for them to be able to

initiate immediate response and changes regarding their actions.

2. Teachers and parents should have knowledge about procrastination specially it’s

effects, for them to be aware and also to help their children and students to avoid

the negative effects of procrastination.

3. Students should know their limits on using gadgets, being in a relationship, and

other things that possibly will cause them distractions, in this way, they would be

more concentrated on their academic performances and will lessen the possibility

that they will get low grades.

4. Parents should teach their children to be responsible for using gadgets for them to

use it in a proper manner and remind their selves to manage their time using

gadgets.

5. Students should know how to properly manage their time and balancely handle

things for them to be able to do their respective tasks and prevent them from

procrastinating.

6. Students should have a little break from academics to lessen their stress.

7. Students should uncover the roots behind their procrastination, if it’s preventing

the student from achieving his goals, otherwise he will never attain them.
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References

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Hansman,G. & Koromyslova, A. (2017). Protruding domain of Gl. 1 norovirus in

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