academic failure. Fear of failure produces stress that in turn is manifested as anxiety that leads to procrastinating behavior by students (Griffin & Griffin, 1998).
Academic procrastination, as a motivational problem deriving from a fear of failure and related psychological factors, is a problem that must be addressed effectively by both the psychological and educational communities those students affected are to become productive academically. Senecal (1995) contended that students with intrinsic reasons for studying procrastinate less than do students with less autonomous reasons for full academic participation, such as external regulation or rewards. Brophy (1996) pointed out that fear of failure can lead to academic procrastination by both students who are ill prepared and by well prepared students who are perfectionists. Thus, developing effective interventions to deal with academic procrastination cannot rely on a "one size fits all" approach. Test anxiety, however, is a manifestation of the overall problem that tends to affect both groups of students (Herman, 1990). Williams (1996) found that higher levels of test anxiety were associated with lower levels of academic performance. Therefore, the problem of test anxiety must be solved as an antecedent to solving the problem of academic procrastination (Efklides, Papadaki, Papantoniou, & Kiosseoglou, 1997).
The purpose of the proposed study will be to investigate the effects on academic procrastination of reductions in perceived fear of failure. Reductions in perceived fear of failure will be accomplished through reductions in the levels of test anxiety. Therefore, the proposed investigation will test relationship between levels of test anxiety and the frequency of academic procrastination.
Within the context of social identity theory, self-concept reflects "a collection of self-images which vary in terms of the length of their establishment, complexity and richne...