The association between procrastination in academic writing and negative emotional states during the COVID-19 pandemic: the indirect effects of stress coping styles and self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Limited research has examined the mediating mechanisms underlying the association between procrastination in academic writing and negative emotional states during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present study, we examined whether stress coping styles and self-efficacy for self-regulation of academic writing mediated the relationship between procrastination in academic writing and negative emotional states.

DESIGN AND METHOD

Graduate students ( = 475, 61.7% female, of students at baseline = 29.02 years,  = 5.72) completed questionnaires at Time 1 (March 2020; Procrastination in Academic Writing and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations), and Time 2 (June 2020; The Self-Efficacy for Self-Regulation of Academic Writing Scale and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21).

RESULTS

Emotion-oriented coping and the self-efficacy for self-regulation of academic writing serially mediated the association between procrastination in academic writing and negative emotional states. Meanwhile, task-oriented coping and self-efficacy for self-regulation of academic writing also serially mediated the association between procrastination in academic writing and negative emotional states.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide a plausible explanation of the roles that stress coping styles and self-efficacy for self-regulation of academic writing play in the association between procrastination in academic writing and negative emotional states.