title: The Effects of Locus of Control and Task Difficulty on Procrastination.
abstract: The authors investigated the effects of locus of control expectancies and task difficulty on procrastination. Forty-two college students were administered an academic locus of control scale and a task that was similar to a typical college homework assignment. The students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 task difficulty levels. Although none of the results involving task difficulty was significant, several results involving locus of control were significant. Specifically, analyses revealed that students with internal locus of control expectancies tended to begin working on the assignment sooner than students with external locus of control expectancies. In addition, students with internal locus of control completed and returned the assignment sooner than students with external locus of control. The results are discussed within the context of J. B. Rotter's (1966, 1975, 1982) social learning theory.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Beloit College.
authors.forename: Tracy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Oglethorpe University.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Carton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D013334:Students; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult