When someone procrastinates on one assigment or work-related task by working on a different assignment or ask, generally one that is less important or easier. i.e. instead of studying for an exam, you're organizing notes.

Academically productive procrastination

This is using other chores or things you need to get done in order to put off doing academic/job related work. There is no improvement of grades or performance by doing personally productive tasks, but it can help lower stress levels. However, this group demonstrates more negative outcomes than classic procrastinators, possibly by using the productive procrastination task as justification to push back the academically productive task.

Personally productive procrastination

This is when someone busies themself with a different task than what they are meant to be doing. It is one adaptive behavior - doing your work - being replaced with a different adaptive behavior that is still productive, like organizing your work space. 

Grinnell College

People can be any combination of -

- Productive/Unproductive procrastinators

- Active/Passive procrastinators

Types of procrastination

Westgate, E., Wormington, S., Oleson, K. & Lindgren, K. (2017). Productive procrastination: Academic procrastination style predicts academic and alcohol outcomes. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 47(3). 124-135. DOI:10.1111/jasp.12417

Productive procrastination: Academic procrastination style predicts academic and alcohol outcomes

Productive Procrastination

These tend to be malataptive or neutral behaviors that are replacing the productive task. 

Unproductive procrastination

This is the type of procrastination used least. It shows non-academic unproductive only and is the description that most beliefs about proscrastination are based around.

Classic Procrastination

Also known as "deadline seekers", Active procrastinators prefer to delay tasks in order to self-induce pressure, motivate, and challenge themselves. Active procrastinators exhibit the following behaviors and characteristics:
- Strong perception and control of time.
- High reports of self-efficacy.
- High reports of extrinsic motivation, but low reports of intrinsic motivation.
- Preference for task-oriented coping strategies.

Unlike Passive procrastinators, Active procrastinators are more likely to report lower levels of stress and depression, while reporting higher levels of task completion and satisfaction. Active procrastinators may be hard to distinguish from non-procrastinators without proper learning analytics tools.

Active Procrastinators

Considered to be the classical definition of a procrastinator. Passive procrastinators are pressured by deadlines negatively, and exhibit the following behaviors:
- Weakened perception and control of time.
- Low reports of self-efficacy.
- Low reports of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
- Preference for avoidance-oriented and emotion-oriented coping strategies.

Unlike Active procrastinators, Passive procrastinators are more likely to report pessimism, depression, and guilt, especially when drawing closer to the deadline. Passive procrastinators are often paralyzed by their indecision to act.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After