1. Self-efficacy and Procrastination as
Moderators of the Influence of
Attachment on Academic Success
_____________________________________
Robert M. Kurland, Ph.D.
Harold I. Siegel, Ph.D.
Rutgers University - Newark, Department of Psychology

2. College Student Academic
Success

3. Attachment and Academic Success
 How to improve college
students’ academic
success
 Can Attachment Theory
serve as a framework for
college student success?

4. Defining Adult Attachment
+ (Model of self) -
+
(Model of others)
-
(Fraley, Waller, & Brennan. 2000)

5. Attachment and Academic
Success
Academically successful students Research has shown that secure
need (Mikulincer &Shaver, 2007): individuals:
Constructive ways of coping with handle stress better (Salas, Driskell, &
frustrations and failures Hughes, 1996)
optimistic expectations of academic have high levels of self-confidence
success (Mattanh, Hancock, & Brand, 2004)
positive attitude toward learning and Have better academic competency
problem solving (Fass & Tubman, 2002)

6. Previous Research
 Secure children at 18 months were more enthusiastic, persistent, cooperative,
and, in general, more effective than insecurely attached infants (Matas, Arend, &
Sroufe, 1978)
 Secure children aged 1½ through 5½ paid more attention to readings than
anxiously attached children (Bus & Van Ijzendoorn, 1988)
 Secure children at 7 years old children were better with deductive reasoning as
compared to insecure children (Jacobsen & Hofmann,1994)
 Avoidant and ambivalent toddlers explored less and were less involved in school
and academic related tasks and activities (Matas et. al., 1978)
 Ambivalent children were more concerned with focusing on the teacher’s physical
proximity and attachment availability than they were on academic tasks and
activities (Cassidy & Berlin, 1994)

7. Attachment and Academic
Success in College
 Attachment and academic success during
the transition to college (Kurland & Siegel, 2007)
 Attachment and academic success
throughout college (Kurland & Siegel, 2011)
 GPA
 Retention
 Graduation

8. Why Would Attachment Affect
College Student Academic
Success?
Persistence
Exploration
Social Stress
Competency
Self-Confidence
Willingness to seek help College
Attachment NeedSelf-Efficacy
Procrastination
AcademicAchievement&
for Competency
Problem Solving Skills
Fear ofBernier, &
Failure
Security (Larose, Hancock, &
(Salas, Driskell,& Boivon, &
(Ainsworth, Cole, &Kerns,
(Aspelmeier
(Bernier, Larose,Colangelo,
(Mattanah,? Hughes,
Blehar, Water,
(Cutrona,&Shaver, 1990) Student
(Hazan & Hesse,2003)
(Bandura&Tubman,1990)
(Main& & Jourden, 1991)
(Elliot 2003)2005)
Reis, 2002)
(FassBrand,1978)
Tarabulsy,
Soucy, 2004) 1994)
Assouline,1996)
Wall, Russell,
& Success

9. Background
 Examine the influence of two specific variables that may
moderate the relationship between attachment and
academic success in the classroom
 Self-efficacy (Cutrona, Cole, Colangelo, Assouline, &
Russell, 1994)
 Procrastination (Hazen & Shaver, 1990)

10. Attachment in the classroom
 Fall semester
 Principles of Psychology class (n=161)
 Prescreening survey
 Access to academic information (GPA and class
grades)

11. Prescreening questions
 Prescreening questionnaire:
 Relationship Structure (Fraley, Niedenthal, Marks,
Brumbaugh, & Vicary, 2006)
 Four Paragraphs Questionnaire (Bartholomew and Horowtz,
1991)
 Self-efficacy (Sherer, et al., 1982)
 Procrastination (Solomon & Rothblum, 1984)

12. Correlational Analysis
 ↑ Attachment anxiety:
 procrastination r = .202*
 self-efficacy r = -.195*
 Final Grade r = -.161*
 ↑ Attachment avoidance:
 Final Grade r = -.157*
 GPA r = -.252**
* p < .05
** p < .01

13. Hypothesis: Procrastination
Does Procrastination (Procrastination survey) moderate the
relationship between attachment (attachment survey) and
academic success (final grade in class / GPA)

14. Procrastination as a moderator
3.5
3
2.5 Linear (High
Procrastination)
G
A
P
Linear (Low
Procrastination)
2
1.5
3 4 5 6
Attachment Avoidance

15. Hypothesis: Self-efficacy
Does Self-efficacy (Self-efficacy survey) moderate the
relationship between attachment (attachment survey) and
academic success (final grade in class / GPA)

16. Self-efficacy as a moderator

17. Discussion
 Procrastination as a moderator
 Avoidants are less likely to seek help
 Less likely to engage in discussions in and out of the
classroom
 Self-efficacy as a moderator
 High self-efficacy may lead to positive view of self
 Students may have enrolled in a class that they are
confident that they will do well in

18. Future research
1. Examine other psychological variables within the
classroom
2. Increase self-efficacy (cooperative learning strategies)
and decrease procrastination (multiple deadlines for
projects) within the classroom
3. Use research to identify students at risk and develop
programs and services

19. Thanks