THE EFFECT OF LOCUS OF CONTROL ON THE PROCRASTINATION BEHAVIOR OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between locus of control and the Procrastination behavior of individuals in an academic setting. Investigated in this study was the relationship between the two aspects of procrastination, the delaying of a task and the psychological distress that results from that behavior, and locus of controls in terms of an internal or external generalized belief. The Adult Nowicki - Duke Locus of Control scale and the Procrastination Assessment scale - Students were given to 267 undergraduate students between the ages of 17 and 48 at Pittsburg State University. The data were analyzed using Pearsons Correlation and an analysis of variance. Results of the study indicate that those individuals with an external locus of control self-report procrastinating to a higher degree and self-report a higher degree of psychological distress due to this behavior than those individuals with an internal locus of control. Suggestions for further research are also discussed