RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANXIETY, ACADEMIC PROCRASTINATION AND SELF-EFFICACY: THE MODERATING ROLE OF SELF-EFFICACY AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS KARACHI PAKISTAN

Abstract

This study aimed toward explore the connections amongst anxiety academic procrastination and self-efficacy in higher education students, with a moderating role of self-efficacy. A sample of 350 university students (189 males and 161 females), aged 18 to 25, participated in the study. The measures used included the Demographic Information Form, Academic Procrastination Scale-Students (Solomon & Rothblum, 1986), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Charles, Spielberger, Gorsuch, &  Lushene, 1964), and  General Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995). Descriptive measurements, Pearson correlations, regression analyses and moderation models applied to investigate the data. The findings discovered major positive relationships amongst anxiety, self-efficacy and academic procrastination (r = .269, p < .01; r = .142, p < .01; r = .323, p < .01), supporting the first hypothesis. Regression investigates indicated, self-efficacy significantly weakened the relationship amongst anxiety and academic procrastination. Anxiety positively predicts procrastination; however, the significant interaction term suggests that higher self-efficacy weakens this relationship. The model explanations for 10% of the change in academic procrastination (R² = .10), with the interaction term explaining an additional 2% (∆R² = .02), pointing out the protecting role of self-efficacy (p < .001*), confirming the second hypothesis. Additionally, gender differences were studied in academic procrastination, state-trait anxiety, and general self-efficacy. The outcomes indicated no statistically major gender differences in academic procrastination, state-trait anxiety or general self-efficacy. The study points out the potential for targeted interventions, such as self-efficacy training and anxiety management programs, to improve academic performance and well-being.

Keywords: anxiety, academic procrastination, self-efficacy, gender differences, university students.