Today's Most Popular Video
May 18, 2009 10:41 pm US/Central
Good Question: Why Do People Procrastinate?
(WCCO)
Whether it's a student delaying her term paper, a husband putting off housework or politicians delaying balancing the state budget, all of us procrastinate to a certain degree. But why do we wait until the last minute?
"There are 20 to 25 percent men and women who are chronic procrastinators," said Dr. Joe Ferrari, a DePaul University psychologist who has written three books and more than 50 articles about procrastination.
"They will not RSVP for a party, they will always wait until the gas gauge goes on empty," he said.
But contrary to popular belief, Ferrari said people do not generally procrastinate because they are crunched for time.
"We have good excuses. There's always a reason, a 'but... however.' 'I could have done it, but...'" he explained.
Ferrari breaks down procrastinators into three categories: indecisive, arousal and avoidance.
The indecisive person considers a trip to the multiplex a nightmare.
"That's a brilliant move, they let you choose. The failure is never their fault," said Ferrari from his office in Chicago.
Those who are motivated by arousal "wait until the last minute for the rush," he said. Journalists often fit into this category, saying they thrive on the deadline.
"They think they do well, but in experiments we've done here at DePaul, they actually do worse," he said.
The clinical term is dysfunctional impulsivity. Because people are rushing to complete a task, they make mistakes, they make poor judgments and they omit critical information.
Then there are the avoiders. They have "fear of failure. You see if I never finish a task, I can never be judged," explained Ferrari.
An avoider also might have fear of success. If that person does well, more work may follow.
"The chronic procrastinator is very concerned about what other people think. That person would rather have people think they lack effort, rather than they lack ability," said Ferrari.
As to what happens inside the brain during procrastination, "good question," said Ferrari. "We're only beginning to really look at that."
Students are notorious for procrastinating, and at the University of Minnesota, the director of the Counseling Center said he sees many of them who are just paralyzed by their own poor decisions.
"Procrastination is a habit, people tend to say they are a procrastinator, but that's not really accurate," said Dr. Glenn Hirsch, a psychologist.
So why does he think we put things off?
"The easiest answer to that question is that we procrastinate because it's more rewarding to procrastinate than it is to do whatever it is that we're not doing," said Hirsch.
People tend to procrastinate on doing unpleasant tasks, and as there tends to not be a huge penalty for rushing to finish something right before a deadline, most people can make it work, he said.
"Part of procrastination is deciding what kind of life you want to have. If you want a life that's less pressured and more rewarding, the reward is reminding yourself that you are living the life you want to lead," said Hirsch.
He suggests that people start small. "Choose one small task, maybe a 5 minute task, that helps you move towards doing the job," he said.
"If you procrastinate on paying a pile of bills, pay one bill," he said.
Time management is the key, according to Hirsch, but there isn't one solution for all people. For example: Making lists.
"Lists can help, but I have worked with people who procrastinate by making lists," he said.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Swimsuit Cover Model Forgot To Wear Top
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
