EFFECTS OF AGE AND GENDER ON PROCRASTINATION: A STUDY OF GOMBE STATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

Procrastination is a phenomenon very common especially in university students, who have
frequent deadlines for registration and submissions. Procrastination is common in
academic contexts especially in environments where students have to meet deadlines for
assignment completion. Procrastination occurs when one delays beginning or completing
an intended course of action. The study examined age and gender as predictors of
procrastination among undergraduate students in Gombe State University. It explored
the difference between age and procrastination; determined the difference between
gender and procrastination; and explored the effects of age and gender to the
prediction of students' procrastination among the students. Three corresponding
hypotheses were tested in the study. Using correlational design from a population of
7166 (n=2389 female, n=4777 male), the study used a sample of 349 undergraduate
students (n=163 female, n=186 male) through multi-stage sampling techniques. Data
were collected by using the Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ) and the Tuckman
Procrastination Scale (TPS). The results found that there is no significant difference
between age and gender (t = -1.42; df = 291; p = 0.1567 gender and F = 1.464; p =
0.180 age) and procrastination among undergraduate students in Gombe State
University, and they have no effects to the prediction of procrastination, among the
students. The study concludes that there seem to be other reasons for procrastination that
are outside the focus of the study. The study recommended that students should be
encouraged to build self-confidence, commence in earnest every academic task given
during their studies.