Procrastination and Temporal Motivation Theory - Vocabulary Flashcards

Temporal Motivation Theory: Key Concepts

  • Equation: Motivation=Expectancy⋅ValueImpulsiveness⋅Delay\text{Motivation} = \frac{\text{Expectancy} \cdot \text{Value}}{\text{Impulsiveness} \cdot \text{Delay}}
  • Terms:
    • Expectancy: belief you can complete the task; inverse relationship with procrastination.
    • Value: rewards and how pleasant/unpleasant the task feels; inverse relationship with procrastination.
    • Impulsiveness: susceptibility to distractions; direct relationship with procrastination.
    • Delay: time until reward; longer delays increase procrastination (hard to control due to due dates in school).

Raise Expectancy

  • Break the task into subtasks (e.g., for a paper: research, rough draft with intro/arguments/conclusion, editing) to reduce perceived difficulty and clarify next action.
  • Ask for help: use office hours or form a study group.

Increase Value

  • Improve rewards: pick work more fulfilling when possible; rewards are often constrained for students.
  • Improve experience: choose a preferred study spot, music, study with a friend, or a quick energizing walk before starting.
  • Add mini-rewards: gamify tasks (e.g., Habitica) or reward sub-tasks (watch a short movie, hang out with friends).
  • Low-density vs high-density fun: schedule high-density fun to create anticipation; limit low-density distractions that are addictive but not truly fun.

Reduce Impulsiveness

  • Environment matters: study away from friends and gaming.
  • Use blocking tools (e.g., Cold Turkey) to limit distractions.

Manage Delay

  • Delays increase procrastination due to short-term bias; due dates in school often lock in delays. Recognize this in planning.

Willpower and Ego Depletion

  • Willpower as a limited resource is controversial; evidence is mixed.
  • The brain runs in cycles of work and rest; postponing hard tasks makes you feel you've already done enough later.

Eat the Frog

  • Do the most difficult/undesirable task first; Mark Twain: "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning…"
  • Rationale: reduces resistance and frees cognitive resources for remaining tasks.

Pomodoro Technique

  • Steps: choose a single task; set timer for 25 minutes25\ \text{minutes}; work; record distractions on paper; after timer, take a 5 minute5\ \text{minute} break; repeat until longer break.
  • Benefits: reframes task as input-based; timer provides external accountability.
  • Tools: tomato timer\text{tomato timer}, Tide app.

Quick Notes

  • Focus on applying one or two techniques; overthinking can be procrastination itself.