[h=1]Procrastination
[/h] From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrastination#mw-headhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrastination#p-search
In psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority, or doing something from which one derives enjoyment, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time.
In accordance with Freud, the Pleasure principle may be responsible for procrastination; humans do not prefer negative emotions, and handing off a stressful task until a further date is enjoyable.
The concept that humans work best under pressure provides additional enjoyment and motivation to postponing a task.[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrastination#cite_note-1[/SUP] Some psychologists cite such behavior as a mechanism for coping with the anxiety associated with starting or completing any task or decision.[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrastination#cite_note-2[/SUP]
Other psychologists indicate that anxiety is just as likely to get people to start working early as late and the focus should be impulsiveness. That is, anxiety will cause people to delay only if they are impulsive.[SUP]
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Schraw, Wadkins, and Olafson have proposed three criteria for a behavior to be classified as procrastination: it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying.[SUP]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procrastination#cite_note-4[/SUP] Similarly, Steel (2007) reviews all previous attempts to define procrastination, indicating it is "to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay."[SUP]
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Procrastination may result in stress, a sense of guilt and crisis, severe loss of personal productivity, as well as social disapproval for not meeting responsibilities or commitments. These feelings combined may promote further procrastination.
While it is regarded as normal for people to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning. Chronic procrastination may be a sign of an underlying psychological disorder. Such procrastinators may have difficulty seeking support due to social stigma and the belief that task-aversion is caused by laziness, low willpower or low ambition.[SUP]
The story of the ant and the grasshopper is the best example for procrastination.
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