Attachment, self-efficacy, and procrastination were measured in 161 college students enrolled in an Introductory Psychology class. Class grades and overall academic records were also obtained. Students who had higher levels of attachment anxiety had lower final grades in the class, higher levels of procrastination, and lower self-efficacy. Students with higher levels of attachment avoidance had lower grades within the class and a lower overall Grade Point Average (GPA). Regression analysis showed that self-efficacy moderated the relationship between attachment and class grade as well as overall GPA. Procrastination also moderated the relationship between both attachment anxiety and GPA and attachment avoidance and GPA.
References
[1]
Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
[2]
Akinsola, M. K., Tella, A., & Tella, A. (2007). Correlates of Academic Procrastination and Mathematics Achievement of University Undergraduate Students. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 3, 363-370.
[3]
Aspelmeier, J., & Kerns, K. (2003). Love and School: Attachment/Exploration Dynamics in College. Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, 20, 5-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/02654075030201001
[4]
Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
[5]
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: Freeman.
[6]
Baron, R. A., & Byrne, D. (2003). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.
[7]
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The Moderator-Mediator Variable Distinction in Social Psychological Research: Conceptual, Strategies, and Statistical Considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 6, 1173-1182. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.6.1173
[8]
Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment Styles among Young Adults: A Test of a Four-Category Model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 226-244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0743558403260096
[9]
Bernier, A., Larose, S., Boivin, M., & Soucy, N. (2004). Attachment State of Mind: Implications for Adjustment to College. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19, 783-806. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0743558403260096
[10]
Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals. New York: Longmans, Green.
[11]
Bouffard-Bouchard, T., Parent, S., & Larivee, S. (1991). Influence of Self-Efficacy on Self-Regulation and Performance among Junior and Senior High-School Age Students. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 14, 153-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/016502549101400203
[12]
Brennan, K. A., & Morris, K. A. (1997). Attachment Styles, Self-Esteem, and Patterns of Feedback Seeking from Romantic Partners. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 23-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167297231003
[13]
Burka, J. B., & Yuen, L. M. (1983). Procrastination: Why You Do It What to Do about It. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
[14]
Corcoran, K. O., & Mallinckrodt, B. (2000). Adult Attachment, Self-Efficacy, Perspective Taking, and Conflict Resolution. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78, 473-483. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2000.tb01931.x
[15]
Courneya, K. S., & McAuley, E. (1993). Efficacy, Attributional, and Affective Responses of Older Adults Following an Acute Bout of Exercise. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 8, 729-742.
[16]
Cutrona, C., Cole, V., Colangelo, N., Assouline, S., & Russell, D. (1994). Perceived Parental Social Support and Academic Achievement: An Attachment Theory Perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 369-378. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.66.2.369
[17]
Davidovitz, R., Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P. R., Ijzak, R., & Popper, M. (2007). Leaders as Attachment Figures: Their Attachment Orientations Predict Leadership-Related Mental Representations and Followers’ Performance and Mental Health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 632-650. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.4.632
[18]
Fass, M., & Tubman, J. (2002). The Influence of Parental and Peer Attachment on College Students’ Academic Achievement. Psychology in the Schools, 39, 561-573. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pits.10050
[19]
Fraley, R. C., Waller, N. G., & Brennan, K. A. (2000). An Item-Response Theory Analysis of Self-Report Measures of Adult Attachment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 350-365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.2.350
[20]
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1990). Love and Work: An Attachment Theoretical Perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 270-280. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.2.270
[21]
Klassen, R. M., Krawchuk, L. L., & Rajani, S. (2008). Academic Procrastination of Undergraduates: Low Self-Efficacy to Self-Regulate Predicts Higher Levels of Procrastination. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 33, 915-931. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2007.07.001
[22]
Kurland, R. M., & Siegel, H. I. (2013). Attachment and Student Success during the Transition to College. NACADA Journal, 33, 16-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.12930/NACADA-12-252
[23]
Larose, S., Bernier, A., & Tarabulsy, G. M. (2005). Attachment State of Mind, Learning Dispositions, and Academic Performance during the College Transition. Developmental Psychology, 41, 281-289. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.41.1.281
[24]
Linnenbrink, E. A., & Pintrich, P. R. (2002). Motivation as an Enabler for Academic Success. School Psychology Review, 31, 313-327.
[25]
Maddux, J. E., & Stanley, M. A. (1986). Self-Efficacy Theory in Contemporary Psychology: An Overview. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 4, 249-255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1521/jscp.1986.4.3.249
[26]
Mallinckrodt, B., & Wei, M. (2005). Attachment, Social Competencies, Social Support, and Psychological Distress. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 358-367. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.3.358
[27]
Mattanah, J. F., Hancock, G., & Brand, B. L. (2004). Parental Attachment, Separation-Individuation, and College Student Adjustment: A Structural Equation Analysis of Mediational Effects. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 213-225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.51.2.213
[28]
Meece, J. L. (1997). Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[29]
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. (2007). Attachment in Adulthood. New York: The Guilford Press.
[30]
Milgram, S. (1963). Behavior Study of Obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 371-378. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0040525
[31]
Myers, D. (1989). Psychology (2nd ed.). New York: Worth Publishers Inc.
[32]
Pajares, F., & Miller, M. D. (1994). The Role of Self-Efficacy and Self-Concept Beliefs in Mathematical Problem-Solving: A Path Analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86, 193-203. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.86.2.193
[33]
Pajares, F., & Schunk, D. (2001). Self-Beliefs and School Success: Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept, and School Achievement. In R. J. Riding, & S. G. Rayner (Eds.), International Perspectives on Individual Differences: Self-Perception (Vol. 2, pp. 239-265). Westport, CT: Ablex.
[34]
Parker, J. D. A., Summerfeldt, L. J., Hogan M. J., & Majeski, S. A. (2004). Emotional Intelligence and Academic Success: Examining the Transition from High School to University. Personality and Individual Differences, 36, 163-172. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00076-X
[35]
Pychyl, T. A., Morin, R. W., & Salmon, B. R. (2000). Procrastination and the Planning Fallacy: An Examination of the Study Habits of University Students. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 15, 135-150.
[36]
Salas, E., Driskell, J. E., & Hughes, S. (1996). Introduction: The Study of Stress and Human Performance. In J. E. Driskell, & E. Salas (Eds.), Stress and Human Performance (pp. 1-47). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
[37]
Sanna, L. J., & Pusecker, P. A. (1994). Self-Efficacy, Valence of Self-Evaluation, and Performance. Personality and Social Psychology, 20, 82-92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167294201008
[38]
Schunk, D. H. (1995). Self-Efficacy, Motivation, and Performance. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 7, 109-134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10413209508406961
[39]
Schunk, D. H., & Pajares, F. (2002). The Development of Academic Self-Efficacy. In A. Wigfield, & J. S. Eccles (Eds.), Development of Achievement Motivation (pp. 15-31). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-012750053-9/50003-6
[40]
Sherer, M., Maddux, J. E., Mercadante, B., Prentice-Dunn, S., Jacobs, B., & Rogers, R. W. (1982). The Self-Efficacy Scale: Construction and Validation. Psychological Reports, 51, 663-671. http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.2.663
[41]
Skowron, E. A., & Dendy, A. K. (2004). Differentiation of Self and Attachment in Adulthood: Relational Correlates of Effortful Control. Contemporary Family Therapy, 26, 337-357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:COFT.0000037919.63750.9d
[42]
Solomon, L. J., & Rothblum, E. D. (1984). Academic Procrastination: Frequency and Cognitive-Behavioral Correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31, 503-509. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.4.503
[43]
Tracey, T. J., & Sedlacek, W. E. (1985). The Relationship of Noncognitive Variables to Academic Success: A Longitudinal Comparison by Race. Journal of College Student Personnel, 26, 405-410.
[44]
Wei, M., Russell, D., & Zakalik, R. (2005). Adult Attachment, Social Self-Efficacy, Self-Disclosure, Loneliness, and Subsequent Depression for Freshman College Students: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 602-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.4.602
[45]
Zimmerman, B. J., & Bandura, A. (1994). Impact of Self-Regulatory Influences on Writing Course Attainment. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 845-862. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/00028312031004845