STUDY OF THE FEATURES OF ACADEMIC PROCRASTINATION OF YOUTH STUDENTS

This article delves into the concept of academic procrastination as a psychological phenomenon that serves as a significant barrier to personal development and lies at the core of the issue of an individual's incapacity to shape a cohesive life vision. This vision encompasses both short-term and long-term planning, goal-setting, and behavior geared toward self-realization. Various approaches to comprehending the essence of this phenomenon, including psychodynamic, behavioral, and cognitive perspectives, are examined. The study reveals that academic procrastination is a considerable issue among student youth, with 75% exhibiting a high level of academic procrastination. Among students in the 3rd and 4th years, a greater inclination towards elevated levels of academic procrastination is observed, whereas 1st and 2nd-year students display higher motivation and less inclination towards procrastination. This could be associated with shifts in study ha bits and increased workload upon transitioning to higher years. Students in the 3rd and 4th years necessitate the development of time management strategies and overcoming procrastination to attain success. The primary cause of academic procrastination among student youth, according to survey results, is academic perfectionism (76%), while a lack of academic motivation and anxiety are identified as less provocative factors. Approximately half of the respondents are found to be inter-nals, the majority of whom possess a moderate level of internal stimuli orientation. In contrast, 55% of the respondents are classified as externals, relying more on external factors in their academic pursuits.


INTRODUCTION
Procrastination is a systematic irrational postponement of important matters for later, which provokes the appearance of negative emotional states (such as anxiety, guilt, and low self-esteem), which are accompanied by an internal feeling of discomfort, which is caused by the awareness of the need to perform tasks without their immediate implementation.Academic procrastination is the postponement of academic tasks, which violates the regulation of educational activities [1].This psychological phenomenon, as a rule, acts as the main inhibitory force of personal development and is the root of the problem of a person's inability to form a holistic vision of life, which involves short-and long-term planning, goal-setting, and human behavior aimed at self-realization.This problem is extremely relevant in the student space, which is due to a number of objective external and subjective internal factors that provoke destructive behavior that can cause problems at the personal and interpersonal level of an individual.Statistics show that about 50% of students systematically procrastinate, 75% of students identify themselves as procrastinators, and 80-90% of students periodically postpone tasks until later [2].That is why we see a great need for a more detailed study of the phenomenon of academic procrastination among student youth.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Academic procrastination is a rather difficult object of research, which is confirmed by a large number of scientific works of authoritative foreign and domestic scientists.Thus, the problem of academic procrastination, its causes, and its consequences were primarily investigated by such scientists as K. Ley, B. Talkman, L. Solomon, E. Rothblum, J. Perry, and others.Subsequently, this issue became the subject of research by domestic scientists, in particular T. Vaida, N. Dvornyk, M. Kreidun, T. Koltunovych, and others.Their works highlight approaches to understanding the phenomenon of academic procrastination, the main causes of its appearance and consequences, the psychological characteristics of people prone to academic procrastination, and socio-cultural prerequisites for the development and consolidation of this behavioral strategy.
The phenomenon of procrastination -putting off important tasks until later has been the original dilemma of many generations.The problems of this concept were often highlighted in the folklore of different countries of the world.Thus, among the Ukrainians of ancient times, there was a common expression: "Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today", the English analog: "There's no time like the present" (there is no better moment than now) [3], the German: "Des Teufels liebstes Möbelstück ist die lange Bank" (a long box is the devil's favorite piece of furniture) [4].Procrastination has always been a challenge for humanity in its everyday life, regardless of the nationality, gender, or social affiliation of the individual, however, the scientific perspective of this phenomenon began to take shape not so long ago.
The first known mention of the term procrastination dates back to 1548, the same year this definition was published in the Oxford Dictionary.1977 is considered the year of introduction of this term into scientific circulation, which is associated with the publication of the first scientific work on this topic: "Procrastination in human life", the author of which was the psychologist Paul Rigenbach [5].
In the same year, another book was published: "Overcoming Procrastination" by A. Ellis and V. Knaus.Later, in the 1980s, psychological questionnaires on this topic were created, such as the "General Procrastination Scale" by K. Ley, the "Procrastination Scale" by B. Tuckman, the academic procrastination questionnaire (PASS scale).L. Solomon and E. Rothblum [6].
Over time, the relevance of the problem of procrastination began to grow, which in turn led to the formation of various theoretical approaches to the explanation of this phenomenon.
Psychologists, having analyzed various approaches to understanding the essence of this phenomenon, came to the conclusion that there are three main approaches that explain the causes and essence of procrastination: psychodynamic, behavioral, and cognitive [7].
The basis of the psychodynamic approach is the theory of the protective mechanisms of the psyche, put forward by Anna Freud.According to this approach, procrastination is explained as one of the strategies of psychological protection of the individual, which is activated when a certain task appears, which potentially harms the Ego.So, victims of procrastination are driven by their fears and psychological traumas, which leads to a person's maladaptation and his complete inability to plan his future, because in the procrastinator's mind, it is one that carries a threat [8].
Proponents of the behavioral approach argue that procrastination is mainly the result of a stable pattern of behavior that has been formed due to the presence of positive experiences.Thus, a certain experience of the past, in which a person received the desired result despite postponing things to the last moment, at the subconscious level becomes the basis for the hope that this algorithm of actions will be effective and will bring success in the future [9].
As for the cognitive approach, here scientists see the root of the problem as the destructive thinking of the individual, which is mostly closely related to the low self-esteem of the individual.Thus, a person without basic confidence that he will be able to complete this or that task (in accordance with certain expectations, which in the vast majority are subjectively hyperbolized) begins to avoid fulfilling his duties [10].In this way, a person's negative ideas and irrational beliefs cause his inactivity, which in turn is only a reinforcement of his negative attitudes, which begin to be realized according to the principle of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Academic procrastination is characteristic of schoolchildren and students, it is manifested by delaying the completion of educational tasks, and preparation for tests, tests, exams.According to scientific studies, the main triggers of academic procrastination among students are unfavorable physical condition; problems in the family and social spheres; lack of interest and low level of motivation; laziness; lack of control and mentoring from management; learned helplessness syndrome; miscommunication; unbiased assessment of the internal potential to perform the task; unfavorable external factors [11].
As a rule, this leads to a drop in the student's success rate, the formation of negative self-perception, and low self-esteem among students.An effective solution and method of overcoming the low level of student success, in this case, can be: changing the system of incentives in the educational institution; promoting the development of internal interaction between classmates and teachers; simplification of educational goals by dividing them into tasks and successive stages of their implementation [12].
In addition to the subjective reasons for the appearance of academic procrastination, such as character traits or psychophysiological characteristics of a person, there is a list of objective factors that cause procrastination: imposition and external pressure regarding the need to complete the task; absence of immediate negative consequences of academic procrastination; delayed deadlines for task performance, which create the illusion of unlimited time resources; large temporary investment in the task; routine and monotonous work; existence of parallel responsibilities; receiving a reward purely in the long term [13].
Regarding the criterion of emotional reaction to external stimuli, academic procrastinators are divided into two types: A "relaxed" procrastinator.The main characterological feature of this type is a person's desire to receive exclusively positive emotional experiences.Thus, their academic procrastination is an escape from negative experiences and emotions associated with the performance of a certain task, however, the deep motive of destructive behavior is the desire to realize their basic needs for social approval, love, and self-confidence.People who are characterized by academic procrastination tend to explain their irrational behavior, trying to justify themselves in the eyes of the people around them, in order to preserve their reputation and ego [14].
"Tense" procrastinator.These people are characterized by overload, disorientation in time, low self-esteem, lack of life goals and clear value guidelines.In this case, the deep reasons for procrastination in educational activities are the fear of defeat and the fear of showing one's incompetence.This can manifest itself in the form of "impostor syndrome" -a psychological phenomenon, the cornerstone of which is a lack of confidence in one's abilities, achievements, and successes, a tendency to external thinking.Exaggerated expectations and high self-criticism lead to inaction, which in turn only reinforces their belief in their own inability to resist external pressure [14].
Non-conformism, manifested in the desire to resist all given requirements and standards of society, including in the educational field, is also among the causes of academic procrastination.
We propose to consider procrastination through the prism of research by Canadian Psychologist Timothy Quick.The psychologist singles out the following causes of procrastination: Disorganization.The researcher sees the relationship between procrastination and disorganization in four main manifestations.First, it is the procrastinator's inability to clearly systematize his tasks according to the criteria of urgency and priority of their execution.Kwik suggests dividing all tasks into 3 categories, which are subject to the above criteria.Thus, tasks are divided into Priority/urgent; Priority/non-urgent; Nonpriority/urgent [15].
For a procrastinator, the main priority is a feeling of comfort and satisfaction, so when making a decision "Where to start?" he will always consciously or unconsciously prefer easier tasks, which in turn will lead to the accumulation of a large list of difficult tasks.Over time, unwanted tasks move into the category of urgent, which increases the procrastinator's level of anxiety, which he tries to overcome by avoiding solving the problem and compensating for this anxiety with activities that are non-priority and non-urgent [16].
Secondly, procrastinators usually have problems with concentration, so they have to make a lot of effort not to be distracted by more pleasant things.
Thirdly, the large number of accumulated tasks often leads to the fact that people who encounter the problem of procrastination often simply forget about their duties, while keeping diaries or notes is also not a good way to overcome forgetfulness, which is due to human disorientation [ 15].
And fourth, people suffering from procrastination have a low level of self-organization and the ability to systematize their activities.Thus, they try to solve all tasks at once, which is a losing strategy for them.
Fear.Manifestations of procrastination, the main cause of which is fear, are usually avoidance and escape from a certain responsibility.This provokes the emergence of negative emotional states accompanied by cognitive dissonance.
The procrastinator tries to solve the problem at the level of thoughts, which provokes a struggle of motives: on the one hand, a person is aware of the need to perform a certain task, but, on the other hand, he experiences extremely strong internal resistance to the immediate implementation of this task.As a rule, such "internal wars" end with the defeat of the rational part of consciousness and the victory of irrational fear and indiscipline, because a person tries to solve the problem by looking at the consequences, and not at the primary cause of procrastination -fear [15].
Perfectionism.Perfectionism is a personality trait characterized by a high level of expectations and requirements, strict standards, and dependent self-esteem, which is determined by the degree of success in completing a certain task.Thus, perfectionists are often characterized by dichotomous thinking: a cognitive distortion in which a person thinks in black-and-white categories, everything or nothing.If a person is not confident that they will do the job flawlessly, they will prefer inaction.In addition, people who are prone to perfectionism often have low self-esteem, because they are not able to achieve those unrealistic standards that prevail in their minds.This negative self-belief is reinforced by the principle of confirmation bias every time a person encounters the slightest defeat, which generates inaction [15].
Procrastination as a symptom of serious mental illnesses.Sometimes a person's inability to perform certain tasks in a timely manner in accordance with the specified requirements indicates the presence of a deeper problem: clinical depression, OCD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other mental disorders [15].J. Perry, a professor at Stanford University, considers two prerequisites that increase the likelihood of procrastination in an individual: Perfectionism.The scientist believes that the inflated standards of an individual serve as a factor in his demotivation to perform serious and voluminous tasks, so a person, wanting to save his internal resources, prefers to perform mediocre and routine tasks [17].
Positive experience.The second prerequisite for procrastination is the presence of a positively reinforced experience of completing a certain task at the last moment.After a person experiences a series of events during which he does not have to face the negative consequences of procrastination, he develops the belief that this behavioral strategy is beneficial for his psyche [17].
L. Yuen and J. Burka distinguish four types of fears, which are the driving force behind the destructive behavior of procrastinators.
Fear of defeat.The fear of failure is the most common and it represents a protective strategy of the psyche that helps a person to avoid situations in which a person's abilities, skills, and abilities in a certain area of his activity will be potentially evaluated.Thus, a person at the subconscious level, guided by the fear of being devalued, postpones or simply does not perform a certain task, thereby preserving his self-esteem and positive self-perception [18].Fear of success.This fear is characterized by a person's unwillingness to take responsibility for those duties and demands of society that are put forward in relation to the social stratum to which a person will join if a certain activity is successfully implemented.Mainly, it is the fear of going beyond one's comfort zone and encountering some kind of confrontation from competitors [18].
Fear of losing control over the situation.The main value that determines the activity (or inactivity) of people who have this fear is the inner desire to control the events and circumstances of their lives.Thus, procrastination is an attempt to avoid excessive control by other people and a desire to provide an independent space around oneself where every step is verified and predictable [18].Fear of loneliness.Procrastination due to the fear of loneliness is a guarantee that a person will not reach a new social level, which will save him from the need to change his usual social environment and join a new social group that may reject him, which will lead to social isolation and total loneliness [18].
Sometimes society tends to perceive procrastination as a habit of a person, formed as a result of his laziness and inaction.Thus, in a person who systematically acts according to the same behavioral strategies, stable neural pathways are built that force him to act in a certain way.So, regardless of the degree of undesirability of performing a certain task, a person always makes a choice in favor of procrastination.But, despite the fact that procrastination really meets some criteria of a habit, it still lacks positive emotional reinforcement, which is a necessary condition for the formation of any habit [19].However, the prevailing opinion is that the biggest prerequisite for the development of academic procrastination is the lack of an appropriate level of motivation among students, which is mainly related to forced admission to an educational institution.Quite often, in the matter of professional orientation, applicants are guided not by their inner desires and abilities in certain fields, but by the fear of disappointing their parents, which entails a whole series of existential problems.
In this case, educational activity is reduced to the need to obtain a diploma [20].The consequences of academic procrastination are increased levels of anxiety; guilt; low level of productivity; forming a negative reputation; and loss of opportunities for personal growth [21].

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal is to study the level of academic procrastination among student youth, the prerequisites for its development, and the creation of recommendations aimed at solving this problem.Achieving the goal determined the solution of the following research tasks: Investigate theoretical approaches to the study of the phenomenon of "procrastination" and "academic procrastination"; justify the methodological basis of the research to determine the level of academic procrastination of student youth; To determine the level of academic procrastination and the prerequisites for its occurrence among students of 1-4 years of higher educational institutions of Odesa and Lviv.

METHODS
In the course of the research, the following methods were used: "General procrastination scale" by K. Lay (to determine the level of academic procrastination in everyday life), "Methodology for diagnosing the level of subjective control (locus of control)" by J. Rotter (to determine the orientation of the individual to external (external) or internal (internal) stimuli), the questionnaire "Degree of procrastination" by M. Kiseleva (to determine the characteristics of academic procrastination according to three scales ("Motivational deficiency", "Perfectionism", "Anxiety") and the general level of procrastination).

RESULTS
As a result of conducting a study to determine the level of academic procrastination among student youth by establishing the degree of individual propensity to postpone tasks in everyday life using the General Procrastination Scale by K. Ley, it was found that the level of severity of academic procrastination of the studied students varies between 34 and 84 points, where low procrastination score, where 34 is a low level of academic procrastination and 84 is a high level of academic procrastination.
In general, 15.5% of respondents have a low level of propensity for academic procrastination, the largest number of studied student youth had an average level of procrastination for academic tasks -61%, and a high level of propensity for academic procrastination was found in 23% of respondents (Figure 1).In the vast majority of studied student youth, an average level of propensity to academic procrastination was recorded, which can be described as a moderate tendency to postpone the completion of tasks, which manifests itself in slight distraction and distraction from the main duties.People with this level of inclination often need willpower and self-control to achieve their goals.
We also decided to compare statistical data on the level of academic procrastination between students of 1-2 years and students of 3-4 years.It turned out that only 16% of students in the 1st and 2nd years had a low level of academic procrastination, which is the same percentage among the students in the 3rd and 4th years.An average level of academic procrastination was found in 84% of 1st-2nd year student youth, while among 3rd-4th year student youth this percentage was lower -42%.
The results on the scale "High level of procrastination" were not recorded among the student youth of 1-2 years, however, among the student youth of 3-4 years, 42% were found to have a high level of academic procrastination (Figure 2).The study showed that among students of 3-4 years, there is a higher tendency to a high level of academic procrastination.This means that most of the student youth who are studying in the senior years have a tendency to postpone the fulfilment of their academic duties.
On the other hand, the level of academic procrastination among students of the 1st-2nd years was rated as mediocre.This testifies to the fact that the student youth of primary courses have greater motivation and a greater inclination to timely completion of their educational tasks in comparison with the student youth of senior courses.
This result can be explained by several factors.Young students of 1-2 years are usually at the initial stage of their educational program when new study habits are still being established and they are highly motivated to succeed.Over time, when students move to senior courses, more complex tasks may appear, and workloads and demands increase, which can lead to an increase in the level of procrastination.
Therefore, the study confirms that student youth in 3-4 years have a greater need to develop time management strategies and overcome procrastination, as they showed a higher risk of a high level of academic procrastination.
When studying the causes of academic procrastination at the level of students' motivational sphere using the "Methodology of the degree of procrastination" by Kiseleva, the following results were obtained.
As the quantitative analysis showed, 8% of the student youth have a low level of academic motivational deficiency, 30% of the studied students have an average level of motivational deficiency, and a high level of motivational deficiency was found in 62% of the student youth, which is manifested in the systematic postponement of the implementation of the curriculum (Figure 3).Based on the obtained results, we can conclude that a low level of motivational deficiency in the implementation of the academic plan is inherent in a small part of the studied student youth.
A low level of motivational insufficiency can be described as a state in which a person shows strong interest, enthusiasm, and persistence in achieving their goals.Individuals with a high level of motivation feel strong internal motivation and satisfaction from their work, which contributes to their productivity and achieving high results.
The average level of motivational deficiency, which prevails in 30% of the studied student youth, in the academic context, refers to a state where a person demonstrates a moderate level of interest, enthusiasm, and persistence in learning and achieving academic goals.She shows some motivation but may need additional stimulation and support to maintain ongoing motivation and academic success.
A high level of motivational insufficiency in the academic activity of student youth was found in 62% of the studied education seekers.Individuals with high levels of motivational insufficiency may have difficulty planning, concentrating, and completing academic tasks.They may lack internal motivation and incentive to achieve high results, which may require additional support and stimulation from teachers.
As a result of the study of the level of student youth's tendency to perfectionism when completing educational tasks, it was determined that this characteristic is manifested in students to varying degrees, however, we can observe certain general trends: only 8% of the studied student youth have a low level of perfectionism tendency, while 15% of respondents have an average level, but the highest percentage fell precisely on a high level of tendency to perfectionism -76% (Figure 4).The highest percentage on the "Perfectionism" scale fell on the high level of inclination to academic perfectionism among student youth.A high level of perfectionism in an academic context means that a person has high standards and expectations for their academic achievements and constantly strives for perfection.
People with a high level of perfectionism can be very self-critical and overly detail-oriented, which can lead to high levels of stress and prolonged tasks.They may strive for distinction and be disapproving of any flaws or mistakes, which can affect their self-esteem and psychological state.
The results of the assessment of anxiety: 8% of respondents expressed a low level of anxiety, 30% of respondents had an average level of situational anxiety, and 62% of students showed a high level of anxiety caused by educational activities (Figure 5).Analyzing the obtained data, it can be said that the vast majority of surveyed students have a high level of anxiety, which can be manifested as a temporary reaction to an external stimulus, as well as a persistent personality characteristic.
Thus, the factor of anxiety can be decisive in the matter of personality disorganization, as well as a low level of potential to concentrate attention and consistently perform tasks according to the previously mentioned priorities.
High levels of anxiety in an academic context indicate a state in which an individual experiences significant anxiety and stress about their academic commitments and achievements.She can constantly worry about her success, and overestimate the risks and negative consequences of educational situations.
People with high levels of anxiety may experience a constant fear of failure, fear of criticism, or displeasure from teachers and fellow students.This can affect their ability to concentrate, remember, and perform tasks.They may spend a lot of time and energy thinking about possible negative scenarios, which delays their academic progress and psychological wellbeing.
Summarizing the results of the study of academic procrastination of student youth using Kiseleva's method, we can state that the predominant provoking factor of procrastination among the studied students is precisely the high level of tendency to perfectionism -75%, while the high level of motivational insufficiency and anxiety was manifested equally among 62 % of surveyed students.
Next, we propose to consider the data of the study of the level of academic procrastination of student youth according to J. Rotter's method, which is aimed at determining the type of locus of control over the individual's orientation to external or internal stimuli.
According to the scale of internality, 45% of respondents were found to have an internal locus of control.As for the scale of internality, 55% of the studied youth were externals, the degree of expression of the intensity of orientation to external stimuli, the vast majority of which occupy mediocre positions, yes, only 5% of the respondents have a high level of inclination to externality.Thus, the predominant type of locus of control in academic activity among the studied student youth with a small margin of 5% was the external type of locus of control (Figure 6).Externals and internals are terms used in an academic context to describe attribution styles, that is, the way in which students explain the reasons for their academic achievements or failures.
Externals (or external attributors) tend to attribute their academic performance to external factors, such as teacher demands, random circumstances, or low expectations from others.They believe that success or failure depends on external circumstances and do not have full control over their academic performance.
Internals (or internal attributors), on the other hand, attribute their academic achievement to their own internal factors, such as effort, talent, motivation, or mental ability.They believe that their academic performance depends on their own efforts and can be controlled by them.
These approaches can influence the way students perceive their academic achievement and respond to failure.Externals may attribute their success or failure to external circumstances, while internals believe more in internal capabilities and control over their academic achievement.
Thus, the predominant type of locus of control in academic activity among the studied student youth with a small margin of 5% was the external type of locus of control.

DISCUSSION
Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the obtained research data makes it possible to assert that: Firstly, academic procrastination among student youth is a significant problem for surveyed students, because 75% have a high level of academic procrastination.
Second, 3rd-4th year students are more prone to high levels of academic procrastination, while 1st-2nd year students are more motivated and less likely to procrastinate.This may be due to a change in study habits and an increase in workload with the transition to senior courses.Students of 3-4 years need to develop time management strategies and overcome procrastination to achieve success.
Thirdly, the main reason for academic procrastination among students according to the evaluation results was academic perfectionism -76%, while lack of academic motivation and anxiety are less provocative factors.
Fourthly, among the studied student youth, approximately half of the respondents were internals, the vast majority of whom have an average level of orientation to internal stimuli, while the second half of the respondents, namely 55%, were externals, who in their academic activities tend to rely on external factors.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of our research once again proved the relevance of the problem of academic procrastination among student youth and also highlighted the complexity of the formation of this phenomenon in the educational space.The analysis of theoretical approaches showed that there are different approaches to understanding this phenomenon, however, there is still no unambiguous definition of the concept of procrastination.Researchers use a psychodynamic approach, a behavioral approach, a cognitive approach, and the theory of temporal motivation to explain the causes and mechanisms of procrastination.During the study of the reasons for the development procrastination in students, it was established that the most common factors are perfectionism, fear of failure and success, violation of self-regulation, resistance to external control, problems with goal setting, violation of time management, and discomfort from performing certain tasks.
Based on these results, recommendations should be developed for student youth with the aim of overcoming academic procrastination, developing self-organization skills, proper prioritization, rational allocation of time and resources, formulation of realistic goals, and a clear understanding of the final goal and other essential aspects.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.The level of procrastination.

Figure 4 .
Figure 4. Level of tendency to perfectionism.

Figure 6 .
Figure 6.Percentage ratio of externals and internals.