Development and Psychometric Analysis of the Brief Inventory of Academic Procrastination

Abstract

Academic procrastination is characterized by the non-strategic postponement of commitments, implying a delay in starting or completing actions or decisions related to academic activities. This article describes the construction and psychometric analysis of a new self-report tool for the assessment of a broad spectrum of latent academic procrastination. Participants were 172 students from diff erent undergraduate courses of a university in São Paulo (mean age = 23.66; standard deviation = 6.61; 68% women). Factor analyses conducted on an initial 60-item pool yielded a unidimensional 20-item set, with items loading from moderate to high in a general factor of academic procrastination. Reliability found for the scale was .91 according to the alpha coeffi cient, and .93 according to omega, with a wide latent coverage, as suggested by the test information curve. The resulting instrument is available for research purposes in Brazil, and can be included in questionnaires of large-scale education assessments.