A normative account of procrastination and its correlates, consequences, and interventions

Procrastination often gets in the way of pursuing goals that require consistent effort over extended periods. While existing theories explain isolated aspects of procrastination, the field lacks a unifying theory. We present a normative theory in which procrastination emerges as the outcome of a dynamic decision-making process: at each time point, an individual chooses between making an effort and postponing work. Using dynamic programming, we derive the time course of work. Our theory accounts for a wide range of empirical observations while making new predictions. First, the rational agent exhibits three temporal patterns of procrastination: a delay before ramping up, working at the last minute, and not working at all. Second, we predict that temporal discounting rate, reward magnitude, task aversiveness, and the utility of alternative activities correlate with the severity of procrastination. Third, we predict that the relationship between perfectionism and procrastination is contingent on moderating factors such as temporal discounting rate, rather than being a simple direct association. We provide empirical validation of the component of our theory that represents perfectionism. Fourth, we identify underexplored factors: the shape of the effort-cost function and the total allotted time. Fifth, we predict the effects of interventions that modify incentive structures: immediate rewards and intermediate deadlines. Throughout, we examine not only the severity of procrastination but also its downstream consequences in terms of task performance, reward obtained, and level of exhaustion. Overall, our framework captures the multifaceted nature of procrastination and sets the stage for new experimental directions.