Predicting Academic Procrastination and Academic Achievement in Private Higher Education With the HEXACO Model of Personality and Psychological Distress

Abstract

Academic procrastination is one of the main problems in the private higher education sector associated with a high rate of abandonment of higher education and delays in fulfilling student obligations. In an effort to detect some of the personal predictors of this phenomenon, we examined associations between personality traits, psychological distress, academic procrastination, and academic achievement among students in private higher education. A sample of 369 participants (145 men, 224 women, 23 years on average) was taken. Participants self-reported their academic achievement and anonymously completed several questionnaires: The Studying Procrastination Scale, The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales – 21, the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised - 60. In line with prediction, the HEXACO dimensions explained an additional 24% of the variance in academic procrastination after controlling for psychological distress. In addition, Conscientiousness and psychological distress predicted academic procrastination, and Conscientiousness uniquely significantly predicted academic performance. Our results suggest that academic procrastination and academic performance are influenced by personality. Also, this study indicated that the impact of psychological distress on academic outcomes depends on the constellation of personality traits. Current findings could help to better understand personal factors associated with negative academic outcomes and prevent negative emotional states associated with student procrastination and poor academic performance.