Engaging in active procrastination entails purposefully delaying decisions or actions with the intention of leveraging the impending deadline as a source of motivation to accomplish tasks. This form of delaying tasks is often linked to favorable results, such as enhanced academic performance.
Putting off decisions or actions because of difficulty completing tasks promptly is a common issue. This form of delaying tasks is linked to various adverse consequences, including decreased performance and heightened stress levels.
The idea of active procrastination and the differentiation between it and passive procrastination are both subjects of intense debate, just like the assertions that active procrastination can result in favorable results. It’s crucial to grasp the caveats associated with these types of procrastination, even though they can provide valuable insights. In the following article, you will discover more about active and passive procrastination and understand how the potential difference between them can impact you in real life.
Illustrations of active and passive procrastination
A prime illustration of active procrastination is when a student purposefully delays completing their homework until just before the deadline, as they find that they are more focused and productive when they are faced with a high level of time pressure. On the other hand, in this situation, a student may choose to delay doing their homework due to a reluctance to start earlier, causing unnecessary stress.
Another instance of active procrastination involves individuals who purposefully delay working on a significant project, as they derive more satisfaction from working on tasks when faced with the pressure of a looming deadline. In this context, an instance of passive procrastination can be observed when an individual continuously delays working on a project to the extent that they ultimately miss the deadline. Feelings of anxiety and overwhelm frequently motivate this behavior, which prevents them from starting the task.
Contrasting active and passive procrastination
There are distinct differences between active and passive procrastination. Active procrastination is characterized by purposeful delay that can actually result in positive emotional and behavioral outcomes. On the other hand, passive procrastination involves involuntary delay that tends to lead to negative emotional and behavioral consequences.
The original paper on the topic provides a detailed description of these differences:
From a cognitive standpoint, individuals who tend to procrastinate passively do not have the intention to delay tasks. However, they frequently find themselves putting off tasks due to their difficulty in making prompt decisions and taking immediate action. Active procrastinators, on the other hand, are able to take action on their decisions promptly. However, they intentionally pause their actions and prioritize other crucial tasks at hand.
Effectively, as a deadline looms, individuals who tend to procrastinate passively may experience increased pressure and a negative perspective, particularly regarding their ability to achieve desired outcomes. These thoughts of self-doubt and inadequacy can heighten the likelihood of failure and trigger feelings of guilt and depression. In contrast, active procrastinators thrive when working under pressure. When confronted with tasks that need to be completed at the last minute, individuals often experience a sense of challenge and motivation. This mindset helps protect them from the negative effects commonly associated with passive procrastination.
Various cognitive pathways and emotional reactions intertwine to generate diverse behavioral patterns. Active procrastinators demonstrate persistence and are capable of finishing tasks just in time. Passive individuals who tend to delay tasks are more prone to giving up and not finishing them.
Considering the given circumstances, we suggest that active procrastination is a complex phenomenon that encompasses various aspects, such as decision-making, preference for time pressure, completing tasks by the deadline, and the resulting outcomes and satisfaction. Due to these underlying disparities (cognitive, affective, and behavioral), it was anticipated that active and passive procrastinators would possess unique psychological traits and attain contrasting results.
From a study titled “Rethinking procrastination: Positive effects of ‘active’ procrastination behavior on attitudes and performance” (Chun Chu & Choi, 2005),
Various forms of procrastination
Active and passive procrastination can be seen as different approaches to managing tasks, with some considering them productive and unproductive ways of delaying work.
Passive procrastination is often linked to traditional procrastination, whereas active procrastination is associated with the behavior of well-adjusted procrastinators who regularly delay tasks without experiencing negative consequences.
Moreover, there is a clear differentiation between active and passive procrastination, which is linked to the differentiation between avoidant procrastination, characterized by delaying tasks due to fears and anxieties, and arousal procrastination, where individuals intentionally wait until the last minute to make tasks more thrilling (i.e., engaging in sensation seeking). However, this distinction has faced criticism.
Lastly, another related idea is productive procrastination (also referred to as structured procrastination), which involves engaging in useful activities while postponing more significant tasks. This type of delay can have its advantages in certain situations, as opposed to unproductive delay, although it is also linked to a range of risks. Similar to active procrastination, it is seen as another form of productive delay, and it can coexist with active procrastination, allowing individuals to participate in both simultaneously.
The scale for active procrastination
Active procrastination typically involves four main components:
- Result contentment, which reflects the inclination to feel pleased with the outcome of your efforts, even if you had to work quickly.
- Emphasis on urgency, which signifies a preference for completing tasks when faced with imminent deadlines.
- Strategic choice, which signifies the purposeful decision to postpone.
- Meeting deadlines is crucial as it demonstrates the ability to finish tasks promptly.
There is a way to measure active procrastination, and it’s called the New Scale of Active Procrastination. Choi and Moran created this scale in 2009, and it takes into account various factors.
Context
This measurement scale for assessing active procrastination includes 16 statements, with 4 statements dedicated to each of the 4 components of active procrastination.
The individual being evaluated should express the degree of accuracy for each statement on a scale of 1–7, ranging from “not at all true” to “very true.”. A higher score suggests a stronger tendency towards active procrastination, unless the question is marked with an (R), in which case the opposite is true (i.e., a higher score suggests a reduced likelihood of active procrastination).
Customer satisfaction with the end result
- I find that my productivity tends to decline when I have to work under tight time constraints.
- I prefer not to rush through tasks, as it negatively affects my performance.
- If I procrastinate and delay tasks until the eleventh hour, I find myself dissatisfied with the results (R).
- I find that I am able to achieve more favorable outcomes when I take my time and complete a task well in advance of the deadline.
Emphasis on optimization
- Working under tight deadlines can be quite challenging.
- I find it frustrating and hesitant to take action when I’m required to work in high-pressure situations.
- I become anxious and find it difficult to focus when I am under a significant amount of time pressure (R).
- I find it quite frustrating when I have to work under tight time constraints to meet deadlines.
Thoughtful choice
- In order to optimize my time management, I intentionally delay certain tasks.
- I purposely delay tasks to optimize my drive.
- To optimize my productivity, I deliberately postponed certain tasks.
- I tend to complete the majority of my assignments just in time before the deadlines because that’s my personal preference.
Promptness in meeting deadlines
- I frequently procrastinate and struggle to meet deadlines (R).
- I frequently struggle to achieve the objectives I set for myself (R).
- I frequently find myself falling behind when completing tasks (R).
- I often struggle to complete tasks once I begin them (R).
However, as demonstrated below in the section discussing the drawbacks of active procrastination, this scale faces several challenges. These include the misuse of reverse-coded questions and the conceptual overlap between certain components. It is crucial to consider these factors if you plan on utilizing this scale or relying on its results.
Potential advantages of proactive delay
According to certain studies, active procrastinators exhibit similar traits to non-procrastinators in terms of utilizing time effectively, possessing greater self-confidence, experiencing lower stress levels, and achieving better academic results. In addition, certain studies indicate that active procrastination can have additional advantages, including enhanced problem-solving skills and a greater likelihood of experiencing a state of flow during work.
However, as mentioned below, there is some uncertainty surrounding the potential advantages, like enhanced self-efficacy and improved academic performance. This suggests that active procrastination may not consistently yield these benefits in practice.
Drawbacks of active procrastination
While there are arguments in favor of active procrastination and its potential advantages, as demonstrated earlier, this concept has faced significant criticism. Research indicates that active procrastination may not yield the expected benefits, and there are several additional concerns surrounding this concept and its evaluation.
The criticisms discussed in the sub-sections below have significant implications for active procrastination. It is important to consider these criticisms if you are thinking about incorporating the concept of active procrastination into your own practices.
Engaging in active procrastination may not yield positive results.
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the potential advantages of active procrastination, such as its impact on self-efficacy, academic achievement, and creativity. In addition, certain studies indicate that engaging in active procrastination can be linked to a range of problems, including decreased motivation, decreased utilization of learning strategies, and heightened levels of stress and guilt.
Active procrastination faces certain methodological challenges
There are significant methodological concerns regarding the assessment of active procrastination.
As an illustration, a study revealed that outcome satisfaction and preference for pressure, which are seen as distinct aspects of active procrastination, seem to assess the same underlying psychological concept. The researchers in this study classified it simply as a preference for pressure.
Similarly, studies have raised concerns about the measurement of active procrastination using reverse-coded questions, which can introduce certain challenges. For example, in regards to the aspect of meeting deadlines in active procrastination, a study highlights:
The APS ability to meet deadlines subscale is a different approach compared to commonly used procrastination scales.
This creates an alarming situation: merely flipping elements of a well-established idea and giving them a new name is more likely to result in artificial creations than creations that are truly unique from each other.
— From “Purposeful delay and academic achievement: An evaluation of the Active Procrastination Scale” (Pinxten et al., 2019)
There are some conceptual issues with active procrastination.
The idea of active procrastination has faced criticism from several researchers, who argue that it is a type of delay that is different from traditional procrastination. According to a prominent study on the subject:
“The definition of active procrastination has a fundamental flaw, as Chu and Choi (2005) have misunderstood purposeful, deliberate delay as procrastination.” Haghbin and Pychyl (2015) have discovered solid empirical evidence for various types of delay, as they have developed a typology of 6 distinct types. According to this classification of delay, active procrastination can be seen as a blend of intentional and arousal delay, rather than traditional procrastination. Interestingly, according to Chu and Choi’s research findings, individuals who exhibit high levels of active procrastination exhibit similar behavior to non-procrastinators who deliberately postpone tasks by rearranging their priorities in order to meet their scheduled goals and deadlines.
Undoubtedly, the concept of active procrastination sparks a semantic discussion regarding how one can engage in procrastination in an “active” manner. Considering that self-regulation failure is a key aspect of procrastination, we could refer to it as ‘active self-regulation failure.’ By framing it this way, it becomes clear why active procrastination may seem contradictory. In their study, Chu and Choi (2005) blurred the distinction between active procrastination and strategic delay employed by individuals who do not typically procrastinate. The foundation for this differentiation stems from Pychyl’s (2013) assertion that ‘all procrastination is delay, but not all delay is procrastination,’ which has been neglected in the studies on active procrastination.
According to Haghbin and Pychyl’s (2015) research, there is strong support for a distinction between procrastination and other types of delay. They have created comprehensive scales to evaluate and distinguish problematic delay or procrastination from other forms of delay. In their research, Haghbin and Pychyl (2015) provided substantial validation and ample evidence for the concepts of purposeful and arousal delay.
It is not surprising that the definition of active procrastination aligns with both purposeful and arousal delays, making it a diverse construct. A construct is considered heterogeneous when it incorporates characteristics from two distinct constructs within a single construct (Edwards, 2001).
When it comes to active procrastination, intentionally delaying certain tasks while prioritizing work based on external demands can be seen as a purposeful delay. On the other hand, postponing tasks to enjoy the rush of time pressure, which can actually increase motivation and productivity, is comparable to a different type of delay known as an arousal delay, according to Haghbin (2015; Haghbin & Pychyl, 2015).
These researchers have effectively differentiated between purposeful and arousal delays by examining their causes, effects, and connections to various emotional experiences. Deliberate procrastination does not stem from any internal desire to put off tasks but rather from external circumstances that force individuals to make logical decisions and rearrange their priorities. On the other hand, arousal delay involves the internal desire for intense arousal, thrill, and excitement, which motivates individuals to procrastinate tasks until the last minute without any external factors pushing them to complete the tasks.
In addition, the two types of delay are connected to various personality traits, overall well-being, and individual results. For instance, Haghbin (2015; Haghbin & Pychyl, 2015) found that purposeful delay was associated with higher levels of conscientiousness, self-control, and wellbeing. On the other hand, the opposite effect was observed with arousal delay. This raises doubts about the understanding of active procrastination as it only focuses on the positive aspects, despite the fact that it also involves negative consequences such as delaying arousal.
In addition, although active procrastination has been recognized as a form of procrastination, it is important to note that it does not exhibit the typical characteristics associated with procrastination. Klingsieck (2013) and Haghbin and Pychyl (2015) identified several factors that contribute to procrastination. These include engaging in unnecessary delays, holding irrational beliefs, experiencing a gap between intention and action, persisting in delaying despite the likely negative outcomes, and feeling subjective emotional discomfort and/or poor results as a result of procrastination. From these defining features alone, it is clear that what Chu and Choi (2005) refer to as active procrastination is not procrastination at all. Active procrastination is not unnecessary or driven by irrational beliefs. Instead, it involves a delayed intention to act until later, without any negative impact on performance or subjective experience.
From an analysis of the construct validity of active procrastination (Chowdhury & Pychyl, 2018),
Utilizing effective time management strategies
Active procrastination is an intriguing concept that suggests procrastination can actually be a strategic behavior that leads to more favorable results.
Nevertheless, considering the extensive research that raises doubts about the advantages and credibility of active procrastination, it is prudent to exercise caution when contemplating the adoption of this concept.
If you tend to put things off until the last minute because you think it improves your performance, it’s important to be cautious and ensure that this habit actually leads to better results for you. When undertaking this task, it is important to take into account the following factors:
- What benefits can be obtained from practicing active procrastination? For instance, does it enhance your ability to concentrate when it’s time to be productive?
- What are the potential downsides of practicing active procrastination? For instance, does it result in negative consequences for you compared to not procrastinating, such as decreased performance or heightened stress?
After considering this evaluation, you can determine whether incorporating or refraining from active procrastination is the right choice for you.
If you choose to employ active procrastination, it’s important to optimize its advantages while minimizing any drawbacks. For instance, setting intermediate deadlines for yourself on large projects allows you to make the most of working on tasks just before each deadline approaches multiple times.
On the other hand, if you choose to put an end to active procrastination, it’s important to first understand the root causes behind your tendency to procrastinate. Next, it’s important to select the most suitable anti-procrastination strategies for your unique circumstances and put them into action until you successfully minimize or eliminate your tendency to procrastinate.
