Abstract Background: Procrastination or the tendency to delay various actions despite knowing that this delay will likely bring negative consequences, is a widespread phenomenon. It has been found to be especially common among college students and has been linked to various negative outcomes. Aim: The current study aimed to explore the relationship between procrastination and self-efficacy for self-regulation (belief in ones ability to successfully self-regulate) and grit (to pursue important goals over long periods of time with passion and determination, despite setbacks or distractions) in a sample of 208 Swedish university students. Method: Self-report measures relating to the relevant constructs were administered to the students and analysed using correlational and partial correlational tests. Results: Results indicated that procrastination were strongly negatively correlated with both grit and self-efficacy for self-regulation. Self-efficacy for self-regulation were also found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between grit and procrastination. Conclusion: More research is needed on the relationship between self-efficacy for self-regulation and procrastination. Additionally, a more conceptually valid scale to measure grit should be developed. / Abstrakt Bakgrund: Prokrastinering eller, tendenser till att skjuta upp olika saker trots vetskapen om att förseningen troligen kommer medföra negative konsekvenser, är ett utbrett fenomen. Prokrastinering har befunnits vara särskilt vanligt bland universitetsstudenter och har sammankopplats med en flera negativa konsekvenser. Syfte: Syftet med den aktuella studien var att undersöka relationen mellan prokrastinering, ”self-efficacy for self-regulation” (tilltron till sin egen förmåga att framgångsrikt utöva självreglering) och grit (förmågan att, med beslutsamhet och passion, jobba mot ett viktigt mål över långa tidsperioder, trots motgångar och distraktioner. Metod: Självskattningsskalor relaterade till de relevanta konstrukten delades ut till studenterna som deltoga i studien och test för korrelation och partiell korrelation användes för att analysera resultaten. Resultat: Resultaten indikerade att prokrastinering var starkt negativt korrelerad med både grit och ”self-efficacy for self-regulation”. ”Self-efficacy for self-regulation” visade sig också vara en partiell mediator mellan grit och prokrastinering. Slutsats: Mer forskning behövs kring relationen mellan ”self-efficacy for self-regulation” och prokrastinering.  Ett mer konceptuellt valitt mätinstrument för grit behöver dessutom utvecklas.

Students who are good self-regulators have higher motivation and achievement than those who are not. The beliefs students hold influence the goals they set, how they regulate learning, their motivation, and their subsequent actions. Beliefs about one’s own willpower (the capacity to exert self-control in everyday life) have been shown to affect individuals’ self-regulation. Willpower has been conceptualized as a limited resource that is easily depleted in demanding situations. However, some researchers have shown that individuals’ beliefs about willpower capacity (i.e., as finite or abundant), and not their actual willful acts, are more predictive of self-regulated behavior. Researchers have similarly shown that students’ beliefs in their personal self-regulatory capabilities predict self-regulation, and subsequently, academic achievement. This study explored the relationship between willpower beliefs, self-efficacy for self-regulation, academic self-regulation, and achievement among college students. Participants were undergraduate students (N = 536) enrolled in an introductory biology course in Fall 2017 at a southeastern U.S. university. Self-efficacy for self-regulation was significantly correlated with effort regulation, time and study environment regulation, and final course grade, while willpower mindset was not. Findings from this study suggest that efforts intended to boost students’ self-regulatory self-efficacy might be a more worthwhile endeavor than teaching them that they can improve their willpower/self-control when supporting them in developing self-regulated learning skills.

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