Gender-differences in university students’ self-regulation and procrastinationThe role of physical activity and its characteristics

Resumen

University students’ physical activity (PA) has been found to be positively related with general health, but also with outcomes which are favourable to academic learning. Specifically, physical activity has been linked positively with self-regulation (SR) and negatively with procrastination (PR). However, gender also seems to play a relevant role in these three variables (PA, SR, and PR), given that women students tend to report lower levels of PA, lower levels of PR, and higher levels of SR. Furthermore, educators in physical activity have argued that specific types of physical activity, such as team-based, practiced competitively and with a coach, yield greater benefits for students’ self-regulated habits.Based on these antecedents, we assessed gender-differences in university students’ levels of SR and PR under three conditions: between men (n men = 369) and women (n women = 235); between men (n menPA = 236) and women (n womenPA = 235) who practiced physical activity; and between men (n menPA team = 72) and women (n women PA team = 59) who practiced physical activity competitively, in teams, and with a coach. Self-regulation was assessed using the Spanish Short Self-regulation Questionnaire, taking into account four dimensions: learning from mistakes, goal setting, decision making, and perseverance. Procrastination was assessed using the Pure Procrastination Scale, taking into account three dimensions: implemental delay (ID), decisional procrastination (DP), and lateness (LA).Results show that women scored more than men in self-regulation dimensions and less than men in procrastination dimensions, with the exception of learning from mistakes and decisional procrastination, which did not show gender-differences. However, when assessing gender-differences among men and women who practiced physical activity, the only differences that remained significant were goal setting and decision making (in favour of women students) and lateness (in which men scored higher). Lastly, no gender-differences were observed among women and men who practiced competitive team sports with a coach.Results are discussed in the light of prior research on physical activity, self-regulation and procrastination. Several questions for future research are laid out paving the way for a greater and more integrated understanding of the roles of gender and physical activity in the promotion of self-regulation and the prevention of procrastination.