6.1 Procrastination

Question 1

Throughout history

Answer 1

Book by Ringenback (1971) cited by Knaus (1979)
However, Aitken proved the work was never actually written. It was a prank

2 researchers also researched procrastination in mice with cheese

Review video for quotes.
Procrastination is: dangerous, perilous, hateful, ruinous, they go to hell

Self-reported procrastination: Q: Do you have a problem with procrastination?

1970: 4-5% adults say yes
2012: 15 to 20% adults say yes

Conclusion: Old problem, existing throughout history. Worsening in modern times. We have a different lifestyle these days, rather than agricultural days

Question 2

Procrastination and the Value Equation

Answer 2

Procrastination is affected by all parameters in the value equation.

Time is a important factor. Recall value curve. The longer the delay, the easier it is for a low value distraction to beat it out, meaning we procrastinate.

Procrastination occurs until the value associated with whatever needs to be done overcomes a threshold

What other factors increase the potential for procrastination? Accessibility, time, basically all other parameters

Question 3

Relationship to Reward

Answer 3

Survey: Procrastination assessment scale. Q: Students, why out of 26 possible reasons might you procrastinate writing a term paper?

Overall answers indicate task aversivenss (we don’t like it)
Most popular choice (45%) Really dislike writing term papers

Task aversivenss found in many contexts: personal projects, daily tasks, academic tasks (publications…), job searching

Question 4

Relationship to pS

Answer 4

Self-esteem and self-efficacy are negatively related to measures of procrastination. Lower values of the above team is associated more with procrastination. Which makes sense, as in taht case there would be a lower pS, meaning a lower overall value

Self-Handicapping: Creating an excuse to protect self-esteem. Moderately correlated with procrastination
Ex. Making task harder, claiming certain challenges all provides justifications for failure. Basically self-sabotaging

What are the similarities and differences between self-efficacy/esteem/handicapping? Are they the same thing as pS?

Question 5

Chronic procrastinators

Answer 5

Which of the 2 types of relation we discussed is relevant in the case of chronic procrastination?
It is an issue of generally low rewards

Strong correlation between trait procrastination and finding tasks aversive in general
One possible reasons is that they find more of life’s chores and duties unpleasant

Question 6

What can we do?

Answer 6

We can’t fundamentally change the way we make decisions. We can hack it though:

• Preference reversal and pre-commitment (lock in previous decision)
• Value equation hacks
• Habits (they bypass the equation)
• Goals (work with equation)

Value equation hacks:
Procrastination is generally, V_desired < V_undesired
We can change the equation/parameters. We can also add an equation to modify the total value.
R hacks work by adding or changing rewards
D hacks work by lowering or increasing delays
pS hacks work on probability of success

Example: Put phone in another room to avoid looking at it.

• Preference reversal and pre-commitment (committed to not looking at phone)
• R Hack, by adding negative reward of moving to other room
• D hack, by delaying positive reward of looking at phone