Procrastination
Avoidance coping behavior of delaying tasks despite known negative consequences.
Procrastination is understood as an avoidance coping behavior where individuals unnecessarily delay or postpone tasks, even while recognizing that negative consequences may follow. This internal stress-driven experience can affect everyday chores, professional obligations like submitting reports, academic assignments, or difficult personal conversations. While commonly viewed as a negative trait that undermines productivity and is linked to depression, low self-esteem, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy, procrastination may also be part of maladaptive perfectionism or a deliberate strategy for handling demands that carry risk or require waiting for new information—for instance, it can prevent someone from acting on suicidal intent. The term originates from Latin, combining a prefix meaning “forward” with a root meaning “of tomorrow.” Culturally, students in Western and non-Western settings both procrastinate academically, but for different reasons: Western students often delay to avoid performing worse than before or failing to learn enough, while non-Western students procrastinate to avoid appearing incompetent in front of peers. Time management perspectives also play a role; in cultures with a multi-active view of time, accuracy is prioritized over deadlines, whereas linear-time cultures allocate fixed periods for tasks and stop when time expires. Procrastination is not unique to humans—studies on pigeons show they sometimes choose complex but delayed tasks over easy but urgent ones. Philosophers, psychologists, and later behavioral economists have studied the phenomenon. Academic procrastination is defined by three criteria: the behavior must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying. Key features include postponement and irrationality; delaying a task is not procrastination if rational reasons exist. The temporal motivation theory integrates expectancy, value, and impulsiveness into a mathematical equation to predict procrastination. Psychologically, the pleasure principle may drive avoidance of negative emotions, and cognitive impairments may also contribute. As deadlines approach, stress can increase, leading to further delay. Anxiety can sometimes prompt people to start working, but it is just as likely to induce avoidance.
- field
- Psychology, Behavioral Economics
- known_for
- Avoidance coping behavior involving unnecessary delay despite negative consequences
- etymology
- From Latin 'procrastinare' (pro- 'forward' + crastinus 'until next day')
Lore & Background
The word 'procrastination' originates from the Latin word procrastinare, composed of the prefix pro-, 'forward', and -crastinus, 'until next day', from cras, 'tomorrow'. From a cultural and social perspective, students from both Western and non-Western cultures exhibit academic procrastination but for different reasons: Western students tend to procrastinate to avoid doing worse than before or failing to learn, while non-Western students tend to procrastinate to avoid looking incompetent in front of peers. Different cultural perspectives of time management can impact procrastination; in cultures with a multi-active view of time, people place higher value on accuracy before finishing, while in cultures with a linear view of time, people designate a set amount of time on a task and stop once time expires. A study of behavioral patterns of pigeons through delayed gratification suggests procrastination is not unique to humans but can also be observed in some other animals, with pigeons showing a tendency to choose a complex but delayed task over an easy but hurry-up one. Procrastination has been studied by philosophers and psychologists, and into the 21st century also by behavioral economists. Gregory Schraw, Theresa Wadkins, and Lori Olafson in 2007 proposed three criteria for academic procrastination: it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying. Steel reviewed previous attempts to define procrastination and concluded in a 2007 study that procrastination is 'to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay.'
Reader's Guide
Procrastination is significant as a widespread behavioral phenomenon affecting productivity, mental health, and academic performance. The behavior is linked to depression, low self-esteem, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy, yet can also be part of maladaptive perfectionism or a strategy for dealing with risky outcomes. Coping responses include avoidance, denial, distraction, and blaming, while task-oriented measures are less likely to be pursued by procrastinators. The temporal motivation theory summarizes key predictors of procrastination (expectancy, value, and impulsiveness) into a mathematical equation. Its legacy lies in informing psychological interventions, educational policies, and workplace management strategies to address the underlying causes of delay.
Did You Know?
- The word 'procrastination' originates from the Latin word procrastinare, meaning 'forward until next day'.
- A study of pigeons showed they tend to choose a complex but delayed task over an easy but hurry-up one, suggesting procrastination is not unique to humans.
- Students from Western cultures tend to procrastinate to avoid doing worse than before, while non-Western students tend to procrastinate to avoid looking incompetent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Procrastination?
Procrastination is the habit of putting off tasks you know you should do, even when you understand the downside of waiting. In psychology and behavioral economics, it is classified as an avoidance-based coping strategy rather than simple laziness.
Why do people procrastinate?
It typically stems from internal stress or anxiety about a task, where the person unconsciously avoids the discomfort of starting. Researchers also link it to perfectionistic thinking, fear of failure, or a broader strategy for managing demands that feel risky or overwhelming.
Is Procrastination a recognized psychological disorder?
No, it is not listed as a standalone diagnosis in major clinical manuals. However, it is strongly associated with depression, low self-esteem, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy, and can function as a symptom of broader maladaptive patterns.
Where does the word 'Procrastination' come from?
The term traces back to the Latin verb 'procrastinare,' built from 'pro-' meaning forward and 'crastinus' meaning until the next day. The original sense is literally pushing something forward to tomorrow.
Can Procrastination ever be seen as adaptive?
Some scholars frame it as a component of maladaptive perfectionism or a wider stance for handling demands that carry potential negative outcomes. In that reading, the delay is a protective, though ultimately counterproductive, response to perceived risk rather than pure avoidance.
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