Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A.      Background of the Study

Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in favor of doing more urgent ones first. Doing more pleasurable things instead of the less pleasurable ones, thus putting off impending tasks to a later time and sometimes even to the last minute.

Amy Spencer wrote the article, "The Science behind Procrastination." In that article it was mentioned that procrastination can be related to Charlie Brown's Seesaw Sensibility, between two parts of the mind when it’s faced with a boring task: a battle of the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex; where as the limbic system is connected to our pleasure and entertainment zone and the prefrontal cortex is associated with our internal “planner” or the logical part of our brain.

Spencer says, "The moment you’re not consciously engaged in a task, your limbic system takes over. You give in to what feels good—you procrastinate" (http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/time-management/procrastination-00000000055281/) Well that is how man was perceived and probably how it will always be.

Procrastination can be a form of rebellion as parents say. But they don’t know that it’s not really a form of rebellion towards them, but a form of rebellion with one’s inner self. According to the article “Procrastination as an Inner Rebellion” which was written by Jay Earley, Ph.D.; procrastination as an Inner Rebellion; disobeying the urge to do what is right and just put off things and do the pleasurable things first before doing the appointed tasks at hand. Basically we are talking about one’s conscience here and the weight of priorities for a person.  Somehow or in some ways people procrastinate when they feel afraid of failure or success that is why it’s labeled as Inner Procrastination.

“A common reason that we procrastinate is fear of failure. Another is fear of success. However, another interesting dynamics goes as follows: It is fairly common for Procrastination to be at least partly motivated by a desire to fight against a part of you that is pushing you to work hard.”
(http://personal-growth-programs.com/procrastination-as-an-inner-rebellion/)

There is no wrong in trying; the way people push themselves to attain goals in their agenda. There is a saying; Try and try until you succeed … there is no great achievement without failure.

As much as people believe that procrastination is only a habit it can actually be considered as a disorder not a habit. Procrastination- this isn't a nuance, but a perpetual occurrence - no longer qualifying for the term "habit." Procrastination has been linked to a number of negative associations, such as depression, irrational behaviour, low self-esteem, anxiety, poor study habits, and neurological disorders such as ADHD. Others have found relationships with guilt and stress. Procrastination is not a habit, it may be a result of something that happened to the person and it’s their way to overcome or ignore their problems.

“Behavioral procrastination is equated with self-handicap. Essentially, this self-handicap provides a means for further blame shifting, as could be seen in an example of a student doing poorly on an exam and using procrastination as an excuse.” (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro02/web1/jmaryasis.html)

Taking in that the limbic system is wired with our pleasure zone, once the brain feels bored on the given subject; distractions are everywhere just to keep you from doing work. A lot of people believe that procrastination is only a habit or a phase. They tend to think that someone procrastinating can overcome or outgrow this phase because it’s only temporary.

However, based on the information the researcher has gathered, procrastination isn’t a habit or a phase. Procrastination is associated with a person’s brain and personality. The scientific fact is that, the brain or parts of the brain are the reason why people procrastinate. Normally shows when a person is stressed, depressed, anxious and even people with low self-esteem. Procrastination is a disorder that can be both biological and psychological.

A problem that the researcher foresees is that some people are really narrowed minded that they can’t even give a chance to understand why other people or their children procrastinate. Parents judge their kids because they procrastinate which leads to broken self-esteem or self-worth. They hurt their children based on verbal abuse and bring them down. Therefore, having background knowledge in procrastination, people will now understand what and why most of the population procrastinates.
 

B.      Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1.  Is procrastination a disorder?

2.  Can it be an outlet for people to express what they feel?

3. Why do people with disorder generally turn to procrastination?

 

C.      Significance of the Study

Parents: To enlighten uptight parents about the real reason why their kids procrastinate so that they can understand and help their children better than ever instead of just scolding them and making them feel worse about themselves.

Teenagers: To give knowledge to the youth about why they really procrastinate so that they can stop spouting crap like, “It’s in our genes” or “I was born with it.”

D.      Scope and Delimitation

The purpose of the paper is to prove that procrastination isn’t only a habit or a phase. It’s a lifestyle that’s inevitable for some people. Procrastination is a disorder some people have and they don’t know about it. Procrastination is a way people can express and forget about their conditions and or problems. It is associated with the person’s brain and how they think. Normally shows when a person is stressed, depressed, anxious and even people with low self-esteem. Procrastination is a disorder that can be both biological and psychological.

E.       Materials and Methods

Information and data that are relevant to the study were gathered from a variety of articles from different sites on the internet, such as http://serendip.brynmawr.edu , www.realsimple.com  and www.personal-growth-programs.com .

The researcher will explain how procrastination can be a disorder and how it’s associated with a person’s brain, by the methods of reading articles related to the subject, and watching videos of doctors and professionals talk about procrastination. The researcher will establish a connection between procrastination and it’s relationship with humans.

F.       Definitions of Terms

1.       Procrastination: The action of delaying or postponing something.

2.       Habit: A settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

3.       Phase: A distinct period or stage in a process of change or forming part of something's development.