The Mediating Roles of Time Management and Learning Strategic Approach in the Relationship Between Smartphone Addiction and Academic Procrastination

PURPOSE: Smartphone is an indispensable everyday tool for college students, while excessive usage of smartphones may lead to negative outcomes, such as academic procrastination. Previous research has suggested that smartphone addiction is a predisposing factor for procrastination. To further understand the above relationship, structural equation model analysis was used to examine the mediating effects of time management and learning strategic approach in the association with smartphone addiction and academic procrastination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2021. A total of 1129 college students aged 18 to 22 participated in the present study was adopted the cluster random sampling method and the following tools were used: the Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale, Time Management Disposition Scale, Revised Approaches to Studying Inventory, and Aitken Procrastination Scale. RESULTS: Results indicated that smartphone addiction is positively linked to academic procrastination, while negatively linked to time management and learning strategic approach. Both time management and learning strategic approach were negatively linked to academic procrastination. Additionally, the results showed that time management and learning strategic approach serve sequential mediating roles in the association with smartphone addiction and academic procrastination among Chinese college students after controlling for age and sex (RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR = 0.035, TLI = 0.993, CFI = 0.979). CONCLUSION: Time management and learning strategic approach serve sequential mediating roles in the association with smartphone addiction and academic procrastination among Chinese college students. Therefore, intervention management that focusing on improving time management as well as strengthening learning strategic approach may be useful for reducing academic procrastination among college students.