Metacognitions about Procrastination: A Preliminary Investigation
Abstract
Procrastination can have deleterious effects on well-being. Despite this, little is known about cognitive-attentional processes involved in procrastination. In this study, 12 individuals self-reporting problematic procrastination were assessed using a semi-structured interview to investigate: (1) whether they held positive and/or negative metacognitive beliefs about procrastination; (2) what was their main goal in procrastinating, and how they knew if they had achieved their goal; (3) how they directed their focus of attention when procrastinating; and (4) what they perceived the advantages and disadvantages of these attentional strategies to be. Results indicated that participants endorsed both positive and negative metacognitive beliefs about procrastination, and that the goal of procrastination was to regulate cognition and negative affect. Participants reported that they either did not know how to determine if they had achieved their goal or that an improvement in mood would signal the goal was achieved. Participants also reported that the principal object of their attentional focus when procrastinating was their emotional state. All participants were able to identify disadvantages to their attentional strategies, whilst nine participants described perceived advantages. The implications of the findings are discussed.
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The finding that low psychological well-being predicts passive procrastination is consistent with past research indicating that procrastination due to time pressure creates higher stress, self-critical thoughts and negative self-judgments, and that traditional (passive) procrastinators tend to have negative metacognitive beliefs indicative of low psychological well-being.
“This finding is consistent with past research which indicates that the tendency to procrastinate due to time pressure ultimately creates higher levels of stress, self-critical thoughts and negative self-judgments (Sirois & Tosti, 2012) and other research demonstrating that traditional (passive) procrastinators tend to have negative metacognitive beliefs, indicative of low psychological well-being”
From Psychological Well-Being and Its Relationships with Active and Passive Procrastination (2015) · cites this paper as Fernie & Spada, 2008
Positive metacognitive beliefs are said to improve academic confidence, thus reducing procrastination (Fernie & Spada, 2008).
“Positive metacognitive beliefs (Fernie & Spada, 2008) are said to improve academic confidence (self-confidence and efficacy beliefs), thus reducing procrastination.”
From Psychological Well-Being and Its Relationships with Active and Passive Procrastination (2015) · cites this paper as Fernie & Spada, 2008
The relationship between procrastination and psychological well-being is cyclic, with low psychological well-being increasing the likelihood of procrastination but increased procrastination then decreasing psychological well-being (Fernie & Spada, 2008).
“These empirical findings indicated that the relationship between procrastination and psychological well-being is also cyclic, with low psychological well-being, including cognitive processes, increasing the likelihood of procrastination but increased procrastination then decreasing psychological well-being (Fernie & Spada, 2008).”
From Psychological Well-Being and Its Relationships with Active and Passive Procrastination (2015) · cites this paper as Fernie & Spada, 2008
Cites
A short form of the metacognitions questionnaire: properties of the MCQ-30
Wells, A., & Cartwright-Hatton, S. (2004) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/s0005-7967(03)00147-5 · Cited by 1,396 · see citing works
At last, my research article on procrastination
Lay, C. H. (1986) · Journal of Research in Personality · doi:10.1016/0092-6566(86)90127-3 · Cited by 1,175 · see citing works
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Psychological Well-Being and Its Relationships with Active and Passive Procrastination
Habelrih, E. A., & Hicks, R. E. (2015) · International Journal of Psychological Studies · doi:10.5539/ijps.v7n3p25 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“…that the relationship between procrastination and psychological well-being is also cyclic, with low psychological well-being, including cognitive processes, increasing the likelihood of procrastination but increased procrastination then decreasing psychological well-being (Fernie & Spada, 2008).”
BackgroundInfluentialFernie, B. A., Spada, M. M., Nikčević, A. V., Georgiou, G. A., & Moneta, G. B. (2009) · Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1891/0889-8391.23.4.283 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationThe association between metacognitions and the impact of Fibromyalgia in a German sample
Kollmann, J., Gollwitzer, M., Spada, M. M., & Fernie, B. A. (2016) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.02.002 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationGiuri, S., Caselli, G., Manfredi, C., Rebecchi, D., Granata, A., Ruggiero, G. M., & Veronese, G. (2017) · American Journal of Men s Health · doi:10.1177/1557988316652936 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Yıldırım, J. C., & Bahtiyar, B. (2022) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980.2022.2107977 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Fernie, B. A., & Spada, M. M.
- Affiliations
- The Royal Free Hospital (GB)
- University of Roehampton (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Spada, Marcantonio M.
- Venue
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2008-02-13
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 359-364
- ISSN
- 1352-4658 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1833
- OpenAlex
- W2119697193
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Keywords
- procrastination, metacognitive beliefs, attentional strategies, emotion regulation, negative affect, goal achievement, self-regulation
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