Comparing effects of active and passive procrastination: A field study of behavioral delay

Abstract

Time is the one resource we cannot recoup. Nevertheless, as many as 20% of people problematically procrastinate. Controversy exists as to the existence of two types of procrastination; the traditional maladaptive type where behavior is delayed unintentionally, despite known risks of disadvantage to performance and/or personal comfort (passive procrastination), and an adaptive type where behavior is intentionally delayed as a means of enhancing motivation, while not disadvantageous to valued outcomes (active procrastination). Few studies to date, however, have longitudinally observed delay in different types of procrastinators. We tracked progress on an undergraduate assignment over two weeks to determine the ability of the two theorized procrastination types to predict behavioral delay. We found scores on passive procrastination predicted markedly different assignment completion trajectories, with higher scorers delaying assignment completion. However, active procrastination did not predict delay. This study demonstrates a novel and robust method for measuring behavioral delay, adds to evidence that active procrastination does not contribute to behavioral delay, and thereby raises doubts as to the construct validity and/or measurement of active procrastination.