Question 1

What things are likely to affect procrastination and is the time of day one of those things?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

Funny you should ask about ‘time of day.’  Check out my research, and you will see we did the only study on morning vs. evening proneness with procrastinators.  What do you think we found?  To me, it’s clear; procrastinators are evening prone ~ they claim to work best at night. But, do they? That takes care of the last half of your question.  For the first part – gee, that is more than I can answer here.  Instead, yup, I recommend checking my book for the causes and consequences of procrastination, “Still Procrastinating?”  It’s an easy read, and while it might not make you ‘happy’ from what it says, it will give you info based on science and not my opinion.  Thanks!

Question 2

Where is the entry point of intervention for the person who is experiencing chronic procrastination?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

Well, you see, it depends – does the person use procrastination as a chronic tendency at home? School? Work? Relationships?  See if they engage in this inappropriate delay that causes them emotional upset across settings ~~ then I suggest good CBT for them.  Remember, procrastination is NOT poor time management, laziness, or just delay.

Question 3

Everyone makes excuses for their friends' procrastination. Do we need to understand why we procrastinate to conquer it?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

Wonderful question – and the first thing. STOP making excuses for them.  See, people need to learn the consequences of their actions. If one consistently is a procrastinator, they need to see the consequences of their actions on others. Procs, as I call them, think life is all about ME.  It's not, it's about WE and procs impacts on others.

Question 4

What are the causes of procrastination?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

This is a complex question, but a great basic one to ask.  The short answer is – it’s LEARNED, so it can be unlearned.  And we found, parenting style produces kids who grow up to be procrastinators.  I recommend reading my popular book, “Still Procrastinating?”  And, if you want greater detail [sure you would] maybe let’s see if I can speak to your local community to educate.

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588

Question 5

What therapeutic techniques do you recommend in working with clients to overcome procrastination?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

If you have a chronic proc they need good CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy]. Time management, meta-analyses show, is the LEAST effective technique for procs because of their great excuse-making tendencies. Instead, they need to address their thoughts [cognitive] and actions [behaviour]. Good luck ~ my book, “Still procrastinating?” might help too.

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588

Question 6

Is procrastinating the same thing as avoiding things because of anxiety?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

Love your Question.  Well, YES and NO. Yes, procrastination is an avoidance strategy that people globally use and seem to “get away with.” We don’t want to hold people to deadlines today, but we are hurting them because they do not learn responsibility.  And No, anxiety is one emotion and so are fears [success, failure].  There are a variety of emotions linked to procrastination and we have a paper in press coming out that looks at 40 years of procrastination and emotion research.

Question 7

Do you have any specific advice for working with adolescent boys who chronically struggle with procrastination?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

Aha, the teen years! I get this question often, and I say remember that rebellion and even revenge may not be procrastination. That is, the kid might be procrastinating as a way to rebel against demands.  In psychology, we call this “reactance effect.”   - Oh yea, well I was going to do this but because you tell me I have to or must do it, I’m not going to do it.”  The person is reacting against believing their freedom is compromised. [We see today in the USA by adults].  So, procrastination may not be a cause but a consequence of something else.  Consider that possibility.

Question 8

Do people with ADHD need a specialised approach for helping with procrastination?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

This Question is tricky because I know many say ADHD is linked to procrastination. Well, and I don’t mean to upset you, but the only study to look at ADHD and procrastination found at best a low, weak link. That was with normal and clinical samples.  BUT > that was only 1 study so before we change anything we need more research on ADHD and procrastination. In the meantime, if someone is diagnosed with ADHD [not boredom-proneness], YES professional help may be effective.

Question 9

For people who have a fear of failure/perfectionism underlying their procrastination, is it ever a good idea to have them deliberately fail something like an exam or assessment or not prepare? Or could this backfire somehow?

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

Well, my Italian Grandma [Nonna] would say, “for some people, they will not get off the beach until the water hits their behind.”  So, you can warn and help people, but some will not take action until they see consequences.  Notice, she did not say DROWN; she said GET WET.  So, yea – let the person fail, don’t give them an out, and when THEY are ready for change, they will change. If you want, check out my book, “Still Procrastinating?” for more.

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588

Question 10

Any tips for teaching groups of children in a classroom setting on how to keep on top of tasks? Thank you for taking questions.

Joseph R. Ferrari · Accepted Answer

No need to thank me for answering questions – it’s how we help others, how we educate, how we share information.  Now, this is a great question and something I do not know of any scholar focusing on ~~ treating procrastination with young kids. Remember, procrastination is NOT poor time management or delay or waiting.  It’s an active avoidance strategy that really is not productive. Perhaps, you know that.  I do recommend reading my book, “Still Procrastinating?” to get a good feel for the concept, and its causes and consequences. But back to your point. I again ask, is the procrastination on a specific behaviour [situational] or something you would label for the kids' lifestyle [dispositional].  These are related but very different and I recommend another conversation after the Book is read.  Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Procrastinating-Regrets-Guide-Getting/dp/0470611588/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ZM6DA4MKTGP2&dchild=1&keywords=still+procrastinating+ferrari&qid=1634534656&sr=8-1

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