PYCHYL Procrastination Presentation March 19 2012

Why dont we just do it?
How research is helping to solve

the procrastination puzzle
Timothy A. Pychyl
Department of Psychology
Tuesday, 20 March, 12
A poem that says it all!

He had a year to do it in
He had a year to do it in
So brushed the thought away,
A chap with half his energy
Might do it in a day.
A year! Twas too ridiculous,
As everyone should find;
However, he would get it done
And have it off his mind.
But not today . . .

But not today. A few months hence would suit him
better still;
Meanwhile, a far less irksome job
Might occupy his skill.
He would not let the matter pass
Entirely from him, No;
And doubtless he might take it up
In, say a month or so.
He had six months to do it in!

He had six months to do it in!
For six long months had flown;
Well, why should that alarm a chap
With talents like his own?
The job, whence once embarked upon,
Would soon be rattled through;
However, he would think of it,
In, say, a week or two.
He had three months to do it in!

He had three months to do it in!
Oh brother! was his cry;
The thing hangs on me like a weight,
Each day that passes by.
Lets see: three months? Ah, thats enough,
But, just to clear the doubt,
Make arrangements for a start
Before the month is out.
He had a week to do it in!

He had a week to do it in!
And care was in his glance.
Its hard, he cried, that flight of time,
Wont give a chap a chance!
He still delayed, the swift week passed,
As weeks will ever run,
And though a year was given him,
The task was still undone.
John Lea in Boys Own Paper (Volume 37 Issue 3, January 1915)
Before I take your questions,

heres what I want to say
Explain what procrastination is and what its not.
Highlight the consequences of procrastination
Identify key pieces of the self-regulation failure
puzzle
Its me
Its the task
Its the way I think
Its my lack of willpower
Strategies for change

My pace, your questions
Latin roots
Latin verb procrastinare

pro - forward motion
crastinus - belonging to tomorrow
put off or postpone until another day
Thats not so bad, its about belonging to tomorrow . . .

Tomorrow
A mystical land where 98%
of all human productivity,
motivation, and
achievement is stored.
(Unknown)
9
How do psychologists define

procrastination?
Gap between intention and action
Mohsen Haghbin
Voluntary, irrational, delay despite the

expectation of a potential negative
outcome
All procrastination is delay,
but not all delay is procrastination
The costs of procrastination

Performance
Well-being
Health
Relationships
Regrets & bereavement
. . . procrastination is usually
harmful, sometimes harmless, but
never helpful (Steel, 2007; p. 80).
Sirois, F. M., Melia-Gordon, M.L., & Pychyl, T. A. (2003). "I'll look after my health, later": An investigation of
procrastination and health. Personality and Individual Differences, 35 (5),1167-1184.
Procrastination its not about time
The Procrastinators
Clock?
The Planning Fallacy
Brian Salmon
Used study prediction calendars and study logs

to explore the potential discrepancy between
intention (Ill study early for the exam and lots!)
vs. action (maybe next time!).
Expected a greater planning fallacy for
procrastinators
Pychyl, T. A., Morin, R.W., & Salmon, B. R. (2000). Procrastination and planning fallacy: An examination
of the study habits of university students. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 15, 135-150.
What just happened

here? Short-term mood
repair!
The procrastination puzzle

16
Its that gap between intention and action.

Its weakness of will.
SELF-REGULATION FAILURE
Short-term mood repair
Giving in to feel good
17
The nature of our

goals & intentions
Personality
Self-Regulation Failure Self-Control

& Willpower
Cognitions & Beliefs

18
Personality
19
Personality
Conscientiousness
19
Personality
Impulsivity
Conscientiousness
19
Personality
Perfectionism
Impulsivity
Conscientiousness
19
Personality
Perfectionism
Impulsivity
Emotional
Intelligence
Conscientiousness
19
Unrealistic expectations
Perfectionism Dimensions
Procrastination
Measures
GP Scale
PASS-Frequency
PASS-Problem
Gord Flett
Canada Research Chair
York University
Self-Oriented
Perfectionism
-.02
.07
.09
Socially-Prescribed
Perfectionism
.30**
.21*
.28**
p < .05, **p < .01

Adapted from Flett, Hewitt and Martin (1995)
Kilbert, J.J., Langhinrichsen-Rohling, J., & Saito, M. (2005). Adaptive and maladaptive aspects of
self-oriented versus socially prescribed perfectionism. Journal of College Student Development, 46,
141-156.
Flett, G. L., Blankstein, K. R., Hewitt, P. L., & Koledin, S. (1992). Components of perfectionism and
procrastination in college students. Social Behavior and Personality, 20, 85-94.
Emotional intelligence giving in to feel good
Eric Heward
Heward, E., & Pychyl, T.A. (June 4, 2011). Trait emotional intelligence and its relations to general,
academic, and Internet procrastination: The importance of self-control in understanding self-regulatory f
failure. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto.
Tice, D.M., & Bratslavsky, E. (2000). Giving to feel good: The place of emotion regulation in the context of
general self-control. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 149-159.
Nelis, D., Quoidbach, J., Mikolajczak, M., & Hansenne, M. (2009). Increasing emotional intelligence: (How)
is it possible? Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 36-41.
Emotional intelligence giving in to feel good
Eric Heward
Terry Lee McPherson
Heward, E., & Pychyl, T.A. (June 4, 2011). Trait emotional intelligence and its relations to general,
academic, and Internet procrastination: The importance of self-control in understanding self-regulatory f
failure. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Toronto.
Tice, D.M., & Bratslavsky, E. (2000). Giving to feel good: The place of emotion regulation in the context of
general self-control. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 149-159.
Nelis, D., Quoidbach, J., Mikolajczak, M., & Hansenne, M. (2009). Increasing emotional intelligence: (How)
is it possible? Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 36-41.
Carpe Diem
Self Identity and Procrastination

Do you know who you are? Does it matter?
Four Identity Statuses:
Exploration (Crisis)
Matthew Shanahan
Moratorium
Achieved
Commitment
Diffuse
Foreclosed
AGENCY = Ego executive (action-directing) +

Ego synthetic (meaning-processing) functions
Shanahan, M., & Pychyl, T.A. (2007). An ego identity perspective on volitional action: Identity
status, agency, and procrastination . Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 901-911.
Self Identity and Procrastination

Do you know who you are? Does it matter?
Four Identity Statuses:
Exploration (Crisis)
Matthew Shanahan
Moratorium
Achieved
Commitment
Diffuse
Foreclosed
AGENCY = Ego executive (action-directing) +

Ego synthetic (meaning-processing) functions
Shanahan, M., & Pychyl, T.A. (2007). An ego identity perspective on volitional action: Identity
status, agency, and procrastination . Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 901-911.
Its that task!

Task Aversiveness
Concrete versus Abstract
Approach versus Avoidance
The nature of our goals & intentions

24
What makes a task aversive?

INCEPTION
PLANNING
ACTION
Goal
Boredom, frustration, resentment at every stage
Allan Blunt
Carleton University
Inception & Planning Phase = LACK OF MEANING

(enjoyment, fun, pleasure, passion, self-identity)
Action Phase = LACK OF STRUCTURE
(lack of autonomy, control, initiation, uncertainty)
Blunt, A.K. & Pychyl, T.A. (2000). Task aversiveness and procrastination: a multi-dimensional approach
to task aversiveness across stages of personal projects. Personality and Individual Difference, 28,
153-167.
25
Are you thinking abstractly or concretely?

Construal-level theory holds that greater psychological
distance is associated with more abstract, higher-level
construals [of objects or tasks], such that more distal
objects are represented on a higher level, and also that
objects represented on a higher level seem more
distant" (p. 1308)
". . . the way the task is represented influences when
individuals complete it. Across a variety of manipulations
of construal level, we observed that procrastination was
reduced when participants were induced to construe the
task more concretely. . . we think that the effect of
construal level on completion times reflected an
association between concrete construal and sooner
time" (p. 1313).
McCrea, S.M., Liberman, N., Trope, Y., & Sherman, S.J. (2008). Construal level
and procrastination. Psychological Science, 19, 1308-1314.
Approach vs Avoidance goals

Approach-oriented goals involve reaching or
maintaining desired outcomes.
Avoidance goals focus on avoiding or eliminating
undesired outcomes.
Matt Dann
Pursuit of a greater number of avoidance goals is

related to:
less satisfaction with progress and more negative feelings
about progress with personal goals,
decreased self-esteem, personal control and vitality,
less satisfaction with life, and
feeling less competent
Pychyl, T.A., & Dann, M. (2010). Approach and avoidance goals: A project-analytic approach to task
characteristics related to procrastination. Paper presented at the annual conference for the Society for
Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Atlanta, Georgia.
Elliot, A. J. & Friedman, R. (2007). Approach-avoidance: A central characteristic of personal goals. In B. R. Little,
K. Salmela-Aro, & S. D. Phillips (Eds.), Personal project pursuit: Goals, actions, and human flourishing
(pp. 97-118). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Its the way I think!

Irrational beliefs
Downward Counterfactuals
Cognitive Dissonance &

Self-Deception

28
Irrational beliefs
Im thinking now that Im simply too stupid to
benefit from more studying, so Ill just hang out on
Facebook.
Bill McCown
University of Louisiana
Im too smart for this

assignment I dont need it.
That would ruin my evening
We depreciate self and
the world, and we cant tolerate
frustration very well.
McCown, W. Blake, I.K., & Keiser, R. (in press). Content analyses of the beliefs of academic procrastinators,
Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.
Neenan, M. (2008). Tackling procrastination: A REBT perspective for coaches. Journal of RationalEmotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 26, 53-62.
29
In search of the Arousal Procrastinator
Kyle Simpson
Simpson, W.K., & Pychyl, T.A. (2009). In search of the arousal procrastinator: An investigation of the
relation between procrastination, arousal-based personality traits and beliefs about procrastination
motivations Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 906-911.
Procrastinators have which type of

counterfactual thought more?
Upward counterfactuals are mental
simulations of better possible outcomes.
Fuschia Sirois
Canada Research Chair
Bishops University
Downward counterfactuals have the

focus on how things might have been
much worse. Both forms have emotional
and behavioral consequences.
Sirois, F.M. (2004). Procrastination and counterfactual thinking: Avoiding what might
have been. British Journal of Social Psychology, 43, 269-286.
Self-deception, self-handicapping & cognitive dissonance
"I'll feel more like doing it tomorrow." Self-deception.
"There's plenty of time yet, it can wait." Self-deception.
". . . the one to whom the lie is told and the one who lies are one
and the same person (Sartre)
Why do we tell these lies? Who believes them?
Emrah Eren
Ferrari, J.R., & Tice, D.M. (2000). Procrastination as a self-handicap for men and women: A task-avoidance strategy in a
laboratory setting. Journal of Research in Personality, 34, 73-83.
Lay, C.H., Knish, S., & Zanatta, R. (1992). Self-handicappers and procrastinators: A comparison of their practice behavior prior to
an evaluation. Journal of Research in Personality, 26, 242-257.
I lack the willpower
Self-Control
& Willpower
33
Willpower and Ego-depletion
Willpower is like a muscle

Self-regulatory depletion
Implications?
Strategic investment of a limited
resource
Strengthening will power
Ferrari, J. R., & Pychyl, T. A. (2007). Regulating speed, accuracy and judgments by Indecisives: Effects of
frequent choices on self-regulation depletion. Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 777-787.
Baumeister, R.F,, & Heatherton, T.F. (1996). Self-regulation failure: An overview. Psychological Inquiry, 7, 1-15.
Baumeister, R.F,, & Heatherton, T.F., & Tice, D.M. (1994). Losing control: How and why people fail at
self-regulation . San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Meditate
Jacob Rotblatt
Sirois, F. M, & Tosti, N. (in press). Lost in the moment? An investigation of procrastination, mindfulness, and
well-being. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy.
Pychyl, T.A., & Rotblatt, A. (2007). Mindfulness meditation as an intervention for academic procrastination.
Paper presented at the Biennial Counseling the Procrastinator in the Academic Context conference. Lima,
Peru.
Dosa, M. (2011). Mindfully losing control: An examination of the relation between measures of mindfulness,
self-control and procrastination. Unpublished honours thesis, Carleton University, Otttawa, Ontario.
Self-affirmation meaning and values

Expressing ones
core values
Puts focus on
volition as
opposed to habit
Courage to be
Bolsters selfregulation
Schmeichel, B.J., & Vohs, K. (2009). Self-affirmation and self-control: Affirming core values
counteracts ego depletion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(4), 770-782.
Self-Control & Executive Function

I have trouble waiting my turn.
When people seem upset with me, I don't understand why.
I say things without thinking.
I don't plan ahead for tasks; I have trouble organizing work.
Laura Rabin
Brooklyn College
CUNY
I have trouble thinking of a different way to solve a problem

when stuck.
I have trouble with jobs or tasks that have more than one
step.
I overreact to small problems; I get emotionally upset easily.
all
of the nine clinical subscales of executive functioning

were significantly related with higher academic
procrastination . . . our research suggests that there may
be problems within cognitively healthy individuals that
contribute to a vulnerability to procrastination.
Rabin, L.A., Fogel, J., & Nutter-Upham, K.E. (2011). Academic procrastination in
college students: The role of self-reported executive function. Journal of Clinical and
37
Experimental Neuropsychology, 33, 344-357.
Strategies for change &

a plan of attack
Implementation Intentions
In situation X, I will do behaviour Y to achieve
subgoal Z.
Peter Gollwitzer
External cue for behaviour

40% increase in attendance on second
experiment
Owens, S., Bowman, C., & Dill, C. (2008). Overcoming Procrastination: The Effect of Implementation
Intentions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 38, 366-384
Pre-empt that which tempts!

Reduce distractions
Lavoie, J., & Pychyl, T.A. (2001). Cyber-slacking and the procrastination super highway: A Web-based
survey of on-line procrastination, attitudes and emotion. Social Science Computer Review, 19,
431-444.
Jennifer Lavoie
Wilfrid Laurier University
Just get started!

Experience sampling
Doing & should be doing
Jonathan Lee
Appraisals, emotions, thoughts

Follow-up interviews
Ill feel more like it tomorrow
Rachelle Thibodeau
I work better under pressure
Pychyl, T.A., Lee, J., Thibodeau, R., & Blunt, A. (2000). Five Days of Emotion: An experiencesampling study of undergraduate student procrastination. Journal of Social Behavior and
Personality, 15(5), 239-254.
Meaning & Interest

"If an activity is boring, I can usually find a way
to make it fun again."
Interest
Enhancement
Lack of
Energy
Procrastination
Gropel, P., & Steel, P. (2008). A mega-trial investigation of goal setting, interest enhancement, and energy
on procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 406-411.
Enhance Executive Control Resources
Metacognitive skills - first develop an awareness of the shortterm mood repair process and its subversive effects on
achievement.
Train on volitional skills such as how to shield one intention from
another or managing intrusive negative emotions associated with
an aversive task by developing emotion-regulation skills (these
are meta-cognitive skills that need to be modelled and taught
explicitly)
Develop control over immediate impulses through the
establishment of fixed daily routines (specific times for learning
and leisure activities).
Block access to short-term temptations ("pre-empt that which
tempts" - remove distractions from the study area, shut of social
media, etc.)
Focus on the value of achievement motivation by setting more
difficult academic goals and learning to enjoy performance for its
own sake
Use peer monitoring with accountability and consequences
for not meeting deadlines
Use self-appraisal methods (e.g., self-tests with criteria for
mastery included) to improve academic conscientiousness.
Rabin, L.A., Fogel, J., & Nutter-Upham, K.E. (2011). Academic procrastination in college students: The role of
self-reported executive function. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 33, 344-357.
43
Structured procrastination
Harness your liabilities for motivation
John Perry
Stanford University
Extended Will
Willpower prosthetics
Joel Anderson
Utrecht University
Triggers, chutes and ladders - lowering the

threshold for action while raising the threshold for
alternatives
Leverage self-control
Social support, commitment contracts, scaffolding
your individual effort
45
Self-forgiveness
Michael Wohl
Carleton University
If we self-forgive
after we
procrastinate, do
we procrastinate
less the next time
we face a similar
task?
Wohl, M.J.A., Pychyl, T.A., & Bennet, S.H. (2010). I forgive myself, now I can study: How self-forgiveness
for procrastinating can reduce future procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences, 48, 803-808.
The last lecture

"Time is all you have. And you may find one day
that you have less than you think."
Time must be explicitly managed, like money.
You can always change your plan, but only if you have one (Make manageable,
concrete task lists and take one step after another.)
Ask yourself: Are you spending your time on the right things? (Make sure your todo-list tasks, your goals, are really worth pursuing.)
Develop a good filing system. (Organization saves time in the long run.)
Rethink the telephone (Don't waste time on "hold" - be prepared to do other things
as you wait.)
Delegate (Many hands make light work, and everyone needs autonomy.)
Take time out (Everyone needs a break, and not all delay is procrastination.)
Randy concludes his advice by writing
Randy Pausch
(1960 2008)
We will all use up all the time that is allotted to us. It is

up to us how we decide to use it (Stephen Pychyl).
Viktor Frankl on Procrastination

Since my years in the concentration camps, this pattern
has changed. . . I have learned to spend my time more
wisely, indeed to make every minute count. I do this so
that I have time for the things that are really
important" (Frankl, 2000; p. 34, emphasis added).
Viktor Frankl
"Another thing: I try to do everything as soon as possible,

and not at the last moment. This ensures that, when I am
overburdened with work, I will not face the added
pressure of knowing that something is still to be done.
There is yet a third principle that has guided my work and
it is this: I do the unpleasant tasks before I do the
pleasant ones.
Frankl, V. (2000). Victor Frankl recollections: An autobiography. Cambridge, MA: Basic Books.
Well, hes finally done. Did

we learn anything?
Did we solve the puzzle?
49
The nature of our

goals & intentions
Personality
Self-Regulation Failure Self-Control

& Willpower

50
Want to know more?

www.procrastination.ca
Research
Self-help
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Why dont we just do it?

How research is helping to solve

A poem that says it all!

But not today . . .

He had six months to do it in!

He had three months to do it in!

He had a week to do it in!

Before I take your questions,

Strategies for change

Latin verb procrastinare

Thats not so bad, its about belonging to tomorrow . . .

How do psychologists define

Voluntary, irrational, delay despite the

The costs of procrastination

Procrastination its not about time

The Planning Fallacy

Used study prediction calendars and study logs

What just happened

The procrastination puzzle

Its that gap between intention and action.

Giving in to feel good

The nature of our

Self-Regulation Failure Self-Control

Cognitions & Beliefs

p < .05, **p < .01

Emotional intelligence giving in to feel good

Emotional intelligence giving in to feel good

Terry Lee McPherson

Self Identity and Procrastination

AGENCY = Ego executive (action-directing) +

Self Identity and Procrastination

AGENCY = Ego executive (action-directing) +

Its that task!

Concrete versus Abstract

Approach versus Avoidance

The nature of our goals & intentions

What makes a task aversive?

Boredom, frustration, resentment at every stage

Inception & Planning Phase = LACK OF MEANING

Are you thinking abstractly or concretely?

Approach vs Avoidance goals

Pursuit of a greater number of avoidance goals is

Its the way I think!

Cognitive Dissonance &

Cognitions & Beliefs

Im too smart for this

In search of the Arousal Procrastinator

Procrastinators have which type of

Downward counterfactuals have the

Self-deception, self-handicapping & cognitive dissonance

"I'll feel more like doing it tomorrow." Self-deception.

"There's plenty of time yet, it can wait." Self-deception.

I lack the willpower

Willpower and Ego-depletion

Willpower is like a muscle

Self-affirmation meaning and values

Self-Control & Executive Function

I have trouble thinking of a different way to solve a problem

of the nine clinical subscales of executive functioning

Strategies for change &

External cue for behaviour

Pre-empt that which tempts!

Just get started!