A Study of Personality Types, Birth Order and Academic Procrastination among University Students in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

The thrust of this study was to determine the levels of academic procrastination among university students. It was also to investigate the academic procrastination and relationships between each of personality types and birth order among the students. Finally, it set to determine the relative contribution of each of personality types and birth order to academic procrastination. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. A total of 848 students were selected from three randomly selected universities in Osun state, Nigeria. Two research instruments titled “Students’ Procrastination Scale (SPS) and Students’ Personality Types Questionnaire (SPTQ) were used to collect data for the study. Data collected were analysed using Chi-square, Pearson’s product moment correlation and multiple regression statistics. The results showed that 68% of university students demonstrated moderate pattern, 18.1% demonstrated low pattern and 13.9% demonstrated high pattern of academic procrastination. The results also showed that a significant relationship existed between personality type (B) and academic procrastination (r = 0.35, p < 0.05). However, there was no significant relationship between personality type (A) (r = 0.05 p > 0.05), birth order (χ 2 = 8.88, p > 0.05) and academic procrastination among university students. Finally, the results showed that personality type A (β =.14; t=1.05, p > 0.05), personality type B (β= -.09; t=-.72, p > 0.05 and birth order (β =.10; t=1.09, p > 0.05) did not contribute significantly in predicting academic procrastination. The study concluded that personality types and birth order could insignificantly predict academic procrastination among university students in Osun State.