Physics

Accounting

Business

Neuroscience

Action (physics)

Automaticity

Mathematics

Statistics

Cognition

Cognitive psychology

Psychology

Procrastination

Variance (accounting)

Longitudinal study

Temptation

Quantum mechanics

Social psychology

Frontiers in Psychology

Procrastination is among the most common of motivational failures, putting off despite expecting to be worse off. We examine this dynamic phenomenon in a detailed and realistic longitudinal design (Study 1) as well as in a large correlational data set (N = 7400; Study 2). The results are largely consistent with temporal motivation theory. People's pacing style reflects a hyperbolic curve, with the steepness of the curve predicted by self-reported procrastination. Procrastination is related to intention-action gaps, but not intentions. Procrastinators are susceptible to proximity of temptation and to the temporal separation between their intention and the planned act; the more distal, the greater the gap. Critical self-regulatory skills in explaining procrastination are attention control, energy regulation and automaticity, accounting for 74% of the variance. Future research using this design is recommended, as it provides an almost ideal blend of realism and detailed longitudinal assessment.

Examining Procrastination Across Multiple Goal Stages: A Longitudinal Study of Temporal Motivation Theory