Academic procrastination precedes problematic mobile phone use in Chinese adolescents: A longitudinal mediation model of distraction cognitions

Predicting online shopping addiction: a decision tree model analysis

Background

Online shopping addiction has been identified as a detrimental behavioral pattern, necessitating the development of effective mitigation strategies.

Objective

This study aims to elucidate the psychological mechanisms underlying online shopping addiction through constructing and analyzing a C5.0 decision tree model, with the ultimate goal of facilitating more efficient intervention methods.

Methodology

A comprehensive survey was conducted among 457 university students in Sichuan, China, utilizing validated psychometric instruments, including the Online shopping addiction Scale, College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, College Students' Sense of Life Meaning Scale, Negative Emotion Scale, Social Anxiety Scale, Sense of Place Scale, and Tuckman Procrastination Scale.

Results

The predictive model demonstrated an accuracy of 79.45%, identifying six key factors predictive of online shopping addiction: academic procrastination (49.0%), sense of place (26.1%), social anxiety (10.1%), college students' sense of life meaning (7.0%), negative emotions (7.0%), and college academic self-efficacy (0.9%).

Conclusion

This pioneering study in online shopping addictiononline shopping addiction prediction offers valuable tools and research support for identifying and understanding this behavioral addiction, potentially informing future intervention strategies and research directions. This study provides research support for improving people's understanding and management of behavioral addictions and promoting healthier online shopping habits.

Smartphone Distraction and Academic Anxiety: The Mediating Role of Academic Procrastination and the Moderating Role of Time Management Disposition

The present study investigated the relationship between smartphone distraction, academic procrastination, academic anxiety, and time management disposition. A total of 474 college students were recruited to complete a survey comprising measures of smartphone distraction, academic procrastination, academic anxiety, and time management disposition. The hypothesised moderated mediation model was tested using Model 4 and Model 15 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results showed that smartphone distraction was positively and significantly correlated with academic anxiety (r = 0.40, p < 0.001) and academic procrastination (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). Academic procrastination mediated the relationship between smartphone distraction and academic anxiety. Time management disposition moderated the paths from academic procrastination and smartphone distraction to academic anxiety. The present study suggests that smartphone distraction could predict increased levels of academic procrastination, which could then lead to higher academic anxiety. However, the predicting effects in this mediation model could fluctuate across individuals with different time management dispositions. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanism of smartphone distraction using different methods.

Mindfulness and academic procrastination among Chinese adolescents: a moderated mediation model

Background

While previous studies have linked mindfulness to reduced academic procrastination, the mechanisms involved remain under-explored. This study deepens the understanding by investigating how learning vigor mediates the mindfulness and procrastination relationship, and how harsh parenting influences this mediation.

Methods

This study, adopting a positivist research approach, utilized a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 800 students at three middle schools in Henan Province, China, through cluster random sampling. This approach yielded 800 questionnaires. The participants sequentially completed four questionnaires: the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student, the Aitken Procrastination Inventory, and the Harsh Parenting Questionnaire. After removing 67 invalid questionnaires due to incomplete responses and patterned answers, a total of 733 valid questionnaires were obtained, with 53.3% girls and an average age of 13.12 years (SD = 1.01), leading to an effectiveness rate of 91.63%. Upon data collection, SPSS 26.0 software was used for correlation analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis to assess the relationships between variables.

Results

(1) Mindfulness negatively predicts academic procrastination; (2) Learning vigor serves as a mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and academic procrastination; and (3) Harsh parenting moderates the relationship between mindfulness and learning vigor. Specifically, the positive impact of mindfulness on learning vigor is more pronounced in individuals experiencing lower levels of harsh parenting compared to those with higher levels.

Conclusion

This study reveals that mindfulness significantly protects against academic procrastination in adolescents, with 52.27% of this effect mediated by increased learning vigor. Additionally, it shows that high levels of harsh parenting weaken mindfulness's positive impact on learning vigor, tempering its overall protective influence on procrastination. These insights, which apply Trait Activation Theory to educational psychology, not only deepen our understanding of the dynamics between mindfulness and procrastination but also have important implications for addressing academic procrastination in Chinese adolescents.

Are "night owls" or "morning larks" more likely to delay sleep due to problematic smartphone use? a cross-lagged study among undergraduates

Sleep is an important physiological process, but staying up late has become a worldwide problem, particularly among university students. Sleep procrastination has been found to associated with sleep biorhythms and problematic smartphone use ("PSU") in previous studies. This two-wave study examines the longitudinal reciprocal relationship between PSU and sleep procrastination, together with the moderating role of sleep biorhythms. Participants comprised 1,423 Chinese university students. The results revealed that PSU and sleep procrastination are reciprocally related. Additionally, sleep biorhythms moderated this relationship, as PSU at T1 significantly predicted sleep procrastination at T2 for the morning larks group but not the night owls group. Accordingly, both PSU and sleep biorhythms should be considered when developing interventions for sleep procrastination.

Procrastination Mediates the Relationship between Problematic TikTok Use and Depression among Young Adults

Background: Although the prevalence of depression has increased significantly in recent years, especially in the young adult population, little is known about its causes and risk factors. The study aims to examine the mediating role of TikTok use in the relationships between procrastination and depression in young adults. Methods: A sample of 448 adults, ranging in age from 18 to 35 years (M = 24.45, SD = 3.76), including 214 men (48%), participated in the study. The cross-sectional survey consists of a modified Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) to assess problematic TikTok use (PTTU), the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS) for procrastination measurement, and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for screening depression symptoms. Results: The independent samples t-test indicates that emerging adults (ages ranging between 18 and 25 years) have more severe depression symptoms than young adults (26-35 years old). Gender differences were not found for procrastination, PTTU, and depression symptoms. Positive correlations were found between procrastination, PTTU, and depression symptoms. PTTU plays a mediating role in the associations between procrastination and depression. Conclusions: Both procrastination and PTTU treatment should be prioritized in the prevention and intervention programs for improving mental health among young adults. Some effective therapeutic methods are recommended.

Parental emotional neglect and academic procrastination: the mediating role of future self-continuity and ego depletion

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of parental emotional neglect on the academic procrastination of late adolescents and further analyze the mediating role of future self-continuity and ego depletion. This study included 609 college students, 344 males and 265 females, ranging in age from 17 to 21 years (M = 18.39, SD = 0.82), who responded to four questionnaires measuring parental emotional neglect, academic procrastination, future self-continuity, and ego depletion, respectively. The results showed that future self-continuity and ego depletion mediated the association between parental emotional neglect and late adolescents' academic procrastination in a serial pattern. Perceived higher levels of parental emotional neglect correlated with lower future self-continuity and higher ego depletion in these late adolescents, leading to higher levels of academic procrastination.

Association between impulsivity and cognitive capacity decrease is mediated by smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and daytime fatigue among medical students: a path analysis

BACKGROUND

Medical students are at high risk for sleep disturbance. One possible cause of their sleeping problem is impulsivity. We aim to investigate the possible mediators between medical students' impulsivity and sleep outcomes. Thus, we developed and investigated a model where the predictors were attentional, non-planning, and motor impulsivity subtraits. In the final model, subjective cognitive capacity decrease was the outcome variable. In light of previous findings, academic procrastination, smartphone addiction, and bedtime procrastination were considered important mediators as well as two variables of poor sleep, sleeping insufficiency, and daytime fatigue.

METHODS

Medical students (N = 211; age_M = 22.15 years; age_SD = 3.47 years; 71.6% women) were recruited to complete an online survey comprised of demographics (age, gender), self-administered scales (Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale, Bedtime Procrastination Scale, Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale, Academic Procrastination Scale-Short Form) and questions on tiredness, daily fatigue and subjective cognitive capacity decrease. Correlation and path analyses were implemented to examine hypothesized relationships between the variables.

RESULTS

Both attentional impulsivity (β = 0.33, p < .001) and non-planning impulsivity (β = -0.19, p < .01) had a direct relationship with cognitive capacity decrease. Attentional impulsivity was also associated with decreased cognitive capacity with a serial mediation effect via smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and fatigue (estimate = 0.017, p < .01). The indirect link between non-planning impulsivity and cognitive capacity decrease was mediated by academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and fatigue (estimate = 0.011, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Inability to stay focused and plan tasks effectively (directly and indirectly) predicts poor sleep outcomes. This relationship is mediated by excessive smartphone use, academic procrastination, and bedtime procrastination. Our findings are relevant in light of self-regulatory learning, which is crucial in medical education. This is a recursive cycle of planning, emotion regulation, proper strategy selection and self-monitoring. Future interventions addressing attentional and non-planning impulsivity, problematic smartphone use, academic procrastination, and in turn, bedtime procrastination might make this routine more effective. In the conclusion section, practical implications of the results are discussed.

Academic Procrastination in Children and Adolescents: A Scoping Review

Academic procrastination is a persistent behavior in students' academic development consisting of postponing or delaying the completion of necessary tasks and having a deadline for completion, which is associated with detriment in performance, school dropout, and loss of student well-being. The largest body of existing knowledge on this behavior comes from studies conducted with university students, although it is necessary to deepen the findings obtained at lower educational levels. The aim of this work has been to carry out a scoping review of the empirical publications focused on academic procrastination in children and adolescents. The inclusion and exclusion criteria are detailed following the general guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute. However, some modifications are incorporated in the flowchart to guide the review sequence. The search was conducted in eleven thematic (ERIC, MedLine, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, PubPsych, and Teacher Reference Center) and multidisciplinary databases (Academic Search Ultimate, E-Journals, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify relevant publications up to 2022, including grey literature. Out of the initial 1185 records screened, a total of 79 records were selected. The search results included a total of 79 records. The most used assessment instruments, the most studied variables, and the type of design and sources of information used in the selected studies are detailed. Cultural aspects that open new lines of future research are identified.

Procrastination Predicts Future Internet Use Disorders in Adolescents but Not Vice Versa: Results from a 12-Month Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

Use of Internet applications is often associated with postponing real-life obligations. Previous cross-sectional studies have reported a positive association between procrastination and Internet use disorders (IUDs). Further, procrastination is included in theoretical models explaining the development of IUDs. However, little is known about the temporal relationship; thus, longitudinal studies identifying the specific predictive direction are required.

METHODS

Using a cross-lagged panel design, a total of 240 students who were at high risk for IUDs, aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 15.17, SD = 1.66) were assessed at baseline (t1) and reassessed one year later (t2) with standardized measures for IUDs and procrastination.

RESULTS

Our results showed that IUD symptom severity at t2 was significantly predicted both by IUD symptom severity at t1 and procrastination at t1. However, procrastination at t2 was predicted only by procrastination at t1 but not by IUD symptom severity at t1.

CONCLUSIONS

We could not find a reciprocal relationship between procrastination and IUD symptom severity. Procrastination appears to be a causal risk factor for IUDs, but not a consequence. As a modifiable risk factor, procrastination is a promising starting point for preventive and therapeutic interventions for IUDs.

Negative Life Events and Procrastination among Adolescents: The Roles of Negative Emotions and Rumination, as Well as the Potential Gender Differences

Procrastination (the intentional delay of action despite knowing that one will be worse off due to the delay) is a widespread phenomenon with various negative consequences, especially among adolescents. Based on relevant evidence, this study examined the relation between negative life events and adolescents' procrastination, as well as the underlying mechanisms-specifically, the effects of negative emotions and rumination, as well as the potential gender differences. A total of 780 adolescents (M_age = 12.92 years old; 52.2% females) were recruited to complete a set of questionnaires assessing negative life events, procrastination, depression-anxiety-stress symptoms and rumination. Results showed that negative life events were positively associated with procrastination, and negative emotions significantly mediated the relation; rumination played a moderating role in this mediation model, specifically, both the direct and indirect effects in this mediation model were stronger for adolescents with higher rumination. Besides this, gender differences in this moderated mediation model were also found-the indirect effect of negative emotions was stronger for girls, and this mediating effect could be moderated by rumination only for boys. These results expanded our understanding of how negative life events influence procrastination and when (or for whom) negative life events influence procrastination the most. The findings also have significant implications for the prevention and intervention of adolescents' procrastination.

Tolerance for ambiguity, reappraisal, and suppression mediate the relationship between problematic internet use and procrastination

The current scientific literature lacks studies on the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and procrastination, especially regarding the mediating mechanisms underlying this relationship. The present study examined the association between procrastination and PIU, as well as determining the mediating roles of tolerance for ambiguity, reappraisal, and suppression. The conceptual model was tested using data collected from 434 Iranian college students. The participants completed a number of psychometric scales assessing procrastination, PIU, tolerance for ambiguity, reappraisal, and suppression. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. Results showed that PIU, tolerance for ambiguity, and suppression were positively associated with procrastination, and that there was a negative association between reappraisal and procrastination. Moreover, the mediation analysis indicated that tolerance for ambiguity, reappraisal, and suppression fully mediated the association between PIU and procrastination. However, it is also possible to interpret the results as suggesting that PIU is unimportant as a predictor for procrastination once mediators are controlled for.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of procrastination assessment scale for students

The procrastination assessment scale for students (PASS) has been used widely in evaluating the patterns of university students' procrastination on academic tasks and their procrastination behavior. The present study validated the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the PASS (PASS-C) by recruiting two representative independent sample of Hong Kong Chinese university students (S1 used in the EFA study: 506; S2 used in the CFA study: 506). The results confirmed that this modified Chinese version is a valid and appropriate tool to assess university students' procrastination tendencies in Chinese educational settings.

Effects of Cell Phone Dependence on Mental Health Among College Students During the Pandemic of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Survey of a Medical University in Shanghai

Objective

To investigate the effects of cell phone dependence (CPD) on mental health among undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic and further identify the determinants that may affect their mental health in China.

Methods

The data were collected from 602 students at a medical school in Shanghai via an online survey conducted from December 2021 to February 2022. The Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) were applied to evaluate CPD and mental health, respectively. Independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to compare the means of continuous variables among categorical groups. Correlations between continuous variables were detected using Pearson's correlation analysis. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were employed to identify the determinants of mental health.

Results

Among the 402 eligible students, 73.88% were women with an average age of 20.19 ± 2.36 years. On average, the DASS score was 32.20 ± 11.07, the CPD score was 36.23 ± 11.89, and the cell phone use duration was 7.67 ± 3.61 h/day. CPD was found to have a negative effect on mental health among college students in Shanghai. Additionally, cell phone use duration, age, being senior students, faculty-student relationship, insomnia, tobacco use, obesity, and life satisfaction were clarified as contributing factors to mental health among college students.

Conclusion

High degree of CPD could have a negative effect on college students' mental health, which might lead to some psychological problems. Appropriate actions and effective interventions are highly needed to prevent severe psychological injuries among college students in China.

What Research Has Been Conducted on Procrastination? Evidence From a Systematical Bibliometric Analysis

Procrastination is generally perceived as a common behavioral tendency, and there are a growing number of literatures to discuss this complex phenomenon. To elucidate the overall perspective and keep abreast of emerging trends in procrastination research, this article presents a bibliometric analysis that investigates the panorama of overviews and intellectual structures of related research on procrastination. Using the Web of Science Database, we collected 1,635 articles published between 1990 and 2020 with a topic search on "procrastination" and created diverse research maps using CiteSpace and VOS viewer. Bibliometric analysis in our research consists of category distribution, keyword co-occurrence networks, main cluster analysis, betweenness centrality analysis, burst detection analysis, and structure variation analysis. We find that most research has focused on students' samples and has discussed the definition, classification, antecedents, consequences and interventions to procrastination, whereas procrastination in diverse contexts and groups remains to be investigated. Regarding the antecedents and consequences, research has mainly been about the relationship between procrastination and personality differences, such as the five-factor model, temperament, character, emotional intelligence, and impulsivity, but functions of external factors such as task characteristics and environmental conditions to procrastination have drawn scant attention. To identify the nature and characteristics of this behavior, randomized controlled trials are usually adopted in designing empirical research. However, the predominant use of self-reported data collection and for a certain point in time rather than longitudinal designs has limited the validation of some conclusions. Notably, there have been novel findings through burst detection analysis and structure variation analysis. Certain research themes have gained extraordinary attention in a short time period, have evolved progressively during the time span from 1990 to 2020, and involve the antecedents of procrastination in a temporal context, theoretical perspectives, research methods, and typical images of procrastinators. And emerging research themes that have been investigated include bedtime procrastination, failure of social media self-control, and clinical interventions. To our knowledge, this is almost the first time to conduct systematically bibliometric analysis on the topic of procrastination and findings can provide an in-depth view of the patterns and trends in procrastination research.

Longitudinal relationships among problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students: a cross-lagged panel analysis

BACKGROUND

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have found that problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms are strongly associated. However, studies are inconsistent regarding whether problematic mobile phone use predicts depressive symptoms or vice versa, and sleep factors have been infrequently focused on in this regard. In addition, few studies have examined the longitudinal associations and directions of effects between these factors. Therefore, this study aims to explore the longitudinal relationship among problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms in college students.

METHODS

Overall, 1181 college students completed questionnaires on problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms at two time points 12 months apart. A cross-lagged model was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between these factors.

RESULTS

Cross-lagged analyses showed significant bidirectional relationships of problematic mobile phone use with bedtime procrastination and depressive symptoms. Additionally, there were also significant bidirectional relationships of sleep quality with bedtime procrastination and depressive symptoms. Problematic mobile phone use predicted subsequent sleep quality one-way, and bedtime procrastination predicted subsequent depressive symptoms one-way.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further expands our understanding of the longitudinal and bidirectional relationships among problematic mobile phone use, bedtime procrastination, sleep quality and depressive symptoms and helps school mental health educators design targeted interventions to reduce problematic mobile phone use, sleep problems, and depressive symptoms among college students.