Procrastination Revisited: The Constructive Use of Delayed Response

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the hypothesis that highly productive individuals in creative fields display unique profiles of domain-specific procrastination. Interviews were conducted with Westinghouse Science Talent Search winners, now 32 years old, based on a model of procrastination behavior that differentiates domains and levels of productivity and anxiety. Those doing creative work were more likely to describe themselves as risk takers, less anxious about procrastination, and male. Paradoxically, those in the categories with the most and the least at stake in terms of professional reputation were the most likely to procrastinate in the creative domain.