Psychologist Piers Steel says procrastination is growing.
As structure continues to decrease, the opportunity for workers to procrastinate will concomitantly increase. Furthermore, the prevalence and availability of temptation, for example, in the forms of computer gaming or internet messaging, should continue to exacerbate the problem of procrastination. There are simply more activities with desirable features competing for our attention.
This paper was published January 2007. I didn’t not write about it then because I procrastinated; I didn’t know about it. Reassuringly, correlations show procrastination is not linked to “neuroticism, rebelliousness, and sensation seeking”. Rather, it’s linked to “task aversiveness, task delay, self-efficacy, and impulsiveness…conscientiousness … self-control, distractibility, organization, and achievement motivation”. Hubby (or you) is not taking out the trash because there’s funner things to do. Like you needed a study to tell you that.
There’s a procrastination quiz you can take. I think if you have to take it, you already know the answer and just want to see how bad you are. It doesn’t take as long to take it as the loading page says. Tongue in cheek, Steel admits results are skewed owing to selection bias saying “it appears that procrastinators are using my procrastination test to procrastinate, somewhat skewing the results. There is a perverse irony in procrastinating by taking a procrastination test that appeals to people, like reading a time management book while you should be working.”
~sigh~ I scored 86 out of a possible 100 meaning I’m “usually a procrastinator”. The results page will also give you tips on reducing your task avoidance tendencies. I suppose it’s time to get back to that entry I’ve been writing about men’s ties but I’m snagged at illustrating the marker making portion…
Guilty as charged! I’m on the F-I site so that I don’t have to face a daunting task at work. It’s almost lunchtime, so why start something only to break shortly after putting my thinking cap on, right?
Looking forward to your entry on men’s ties. I’ve got a pile of silks to make some up for the DH but need to do some reverse engineering on an old tie first. Um. I guess I’m procrastinating on that, too!
I’m 50% Though on looking at the website I wonder what wheatgrass has to do with procrastination. A cure perhaps?
I scored 52 on the quiz… and Kathleen, what you said about ties reminded me of something I’ve been procrastinating– I bought and read Joe Abboud’s book (Threads: my life in the… etc) and I didn’t really like it, so I don’t care to keep it. I read somewhere on this blog that you hadn’t read it yet, so I’m wondering if you’d like me to send it to you. Otherwise I’ll just give it to the library. Let me know, its no trouble, and I’ve been meaning to ask for ages…
Hi Milena, sure! I’ll always pass it along if somebody wants it after me (don’t be shy). Thanks for thinking of me.
I got a 33. I’m below average. I’m not shocked. I’m extremely goal oriented and when I’m working on something I devote my entire attention to it, to the point of compulsion.
I’m almost affraind to take the quiz…
It turns out I’m a -“Below Average Procrastinator-”
Ranking between the bottom 10% and 25% in terms of procrastination.
Who knew!