Toward an understanding of academic and nonacademic tasks procrastinated by students: The use of daily logs

For five consecutive days, at either the beginning or the end of a term, co llege students (30 women, 7 men) listed daily academic and nonacademic task s they intended to complete and whether they actually completed them. Stude nts reported nonacademic tasks (e.g., household chores, making telephone ca lls, exercising. and playing sports) as completed most often regardless of the time within the term. Results from 2 (early vs. later sessions) by 2 (c ompleted vs. not completed tasks) by 2 (academic vs. nonacademic tasks) ANO VAs found that procrastinated tasks early in the term were more effortful a nd anxiety provoking than any other task during the term. Procrastinated ac ademic tasks (e.g., homework, reading assignments, studying) in the early p art of a term were rated as unpleasurable, while students reported later in the term that pleasantness of the task did not affect whether it was procr astinated or completed. These results imply that academic and nonacademic t asks should be challenging, yet fun, to heighten the likelihood that they a re completed by students. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.