THE ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF ACADEMIC EXCUSE-MAKING - EXAMINING INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN PROCRASTINATION

Students from two colleges (n = 546) differing in admission selectivit y completed measures of academic procrastination and excuses. Procrast ination was higher among students at the selective college than studen ts at the nonselective college. Academic procrastination was motivated by task aversiveness for students at the selective college and by fea r of task failure and fear of social disapproval for students at the n onselective college. At the nonselective college only, procrastinators compared to nonprocrastinators reported more often using both legitim ate and fraudulent excuses in college and during the current semester. Participants reported that excuses were self-generated for the purpos e of gaining more assignment time and that mast instructors did not re quire proof for excuses. The characteristics of courses and instructor s likely to promote excuse-making by both procrastinators and nonprocr astinators also were examined. These results reflect the need by admin istrators and personnel to consider individual and situational differe nces when implementing student-centered intervention programs.