I could do it now, but I'd rather (forget to) do it later: examining links between procrastination and prospective memory failures

Psychol Res. 2021 Jun;85(4):1602-1612. doi: 10.1007/s00426-020-01357-6. Epub 2020 May 22.

Abstract

Prospective memory (PM) represents the ability to remember to perform planned actions after a certain delay. As previous studies suggest that even brief task-delays can negatively affect PM performance, the current study set out to examine whether procrastination (intentionally delaying task execution despite possible negative consequences) may represent a factor contributing to PM failures. Specifically, we assessed procrastination (via a standardized questionnaire as well as an objective behavioral measure) and PM failures (via a naturalistic PM task) in 92 young adults. Results show that participants' self-reports as well as their actual procrastination behavior predicted the number of PM failures, corroborating the impact of procrastination on PM. Subsequent cluster analyses suggest three distinct procrastination profiles (non-procrastinators, conscious procrastinators and unconscious procrastinators), providing new conceptual insights into different mechanisms of how procrastinating may lead to forgetting to perform planned tasks.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Goals
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Memory, Episodic*
  • Motivation
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Procrastination / physiology*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
  • Self-Control*
  • Time Management / psychology*
  • Young Adult