Procrastination as a Predictor of Task Perceptions: Examining Delayed and Non-delayed Tasks Across Varied Deadlines
Author(s): Joseph R. Ferrari, Christopher P. Mason, Corey Hammer
Abstract: Participants (N = 120), in random order, wrote a paragraph describing a task they engaged in but did not delay in completing and then one task that they delayed, under past, present, or future deadlines. Perceptions of the task were assessed along 18 statements evaluating motives and task concerns. Results revealed a main effect for the delayed condition, as well as a time by delay interaction. Subsequent regression analyses revealed that rates of 1 procrastination predicted differences in perceptions for only delayed tasks in the past and present time frames. Procrastinators were more likely to perceive delayed-past tasks as requiring greater effort and less clarity for task completion, and, more likely to think that had they completed the task, it would have had a positive impact on them personally. Higher levels of procrastination also predicted lower perceived enjoyment for delayed-present tasks. Implications are discussed for how person's with different procrastination tendencies perceive their task deadlines differently.
Pages: 28-36
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