According to a study published in the March issue of the journal Developmental Psychology, the tendency to procrastinate starts in childhood and worsens with age. The team of scientists also reveals that this persistent behavior is associated with negative long-term outcomes.
People who procrastinate also tend to be less organized and struggle with impulse and emotion regulation, as well as time and task management, as researchers suggest.
To understand how the trend develops, the group analyzed the responses of 105 parents of children between three and six years old. Scientists also sought to understand the relationship between procrastination and executive function — which encompasses the cognitive skills responsible for consciously controlling thought and action. The results revealed that the tendency to procrastinate emerged in the early preschool years, but was more common in older children.
The group theory is that older children show stronger procrastination tendencies because they have more responsibilities than younger children.
“Older children’s procrastination seemed to reflect the increased responsibilities and obligations that come with increasing age. This may suggest that procrastination increases as children gain autonomy and are given more undesirable tasks at home and in academic settings,” the study concludes.
The trend also relates to weaker executive functions and future thinking skills. Anyway, it is worth noting that the study did not include behavioral data, and that the children were not interviewed directly, but the parents, which highlights the need for more research in the area.
Source: Developmental Psychology via CTV News
