Psychological capital, self-regulation, and distraction in academic procrastination: Application of a structural equation model

Palaco-Vásquez J.A.; Postigo-Zumarán J.E. · Revista de Ciencias Sociales (2026) · DOI: 10.31876/rcs.v32i3.46113

Resumen

Academic procrastination is a common behavior among university students, influenced by psychological and contextual factors. The objective was to analyze the influence of psychological capital, self-regulation, and distraction on academic procrastination in university students in Arequipa, Peru. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was used. Three hundred and seven students participated, completing a 33-item questionnaire. A structural equation model was applied to analyze the relationships between the variables. The results reveal that distraction has a strong direct positive effect on procrastination, while psychological capital influences it indirectly through academic self-regulation. Self-regulation showed a moderate negative effect on procrastination. The students' demographic profile also presented significant indirect effects. The model explained 66.51% of the variance in procrastination. Recommendations are derived for incorporating strategies into university education that promote the management of digital distractions and the development of self-regulation skills, thus enriching the student learning process. Licencia de Creative Commons Atribución 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es

Instituciones: Universidad de San Martín de Porres; Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa; Universidad Tecnológica del Perú; Universidad Continental; Universidad Católica de Santa María