Delaying an unpleasant task is a common behavior, but recent research indicates that individuals with a tendency to let negative attitudes guide their actions are more likely to procrastinate.
The concept known as valence weighting bias plays a crucial role in this mental process. It refers to how individuals rely more heavily on either positive or negative attitudes when faced with new situations. This bias influences whether negative or positive internal signals have a stronger influence on decision-making.
“The key question is, which factor ultimately prevails – the positive or negative aspects?” explained Russell Fazio, a psychology professor at The Ohio State University.
In a series of experiments, Fazio and Javier Granados Samayoa, a former graduate student at Ohio State, discovered a connection between a predominantly negative attitude and procrastination. They also found that it is possible to shift the bias of individuals who procrastinate heavily towards neutrality, reducing their inclination to delay tasks.
“We are examining how people consider positive and negative aspects when making choices, and how valence weighting bias influences their decisions,” Granados Samayoa stated.
These findings were recently published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
The Impact of Attitude on Procrastination
The initial study involved a practical scenario: completing a federal tax return.
“Individuals are momentarily faced with the decision of whether to tackle the task immediately,” Fazio explained. “There are both positive and negative signals at play: the aversion towards the task and the satisfaction of completing it successfully.”
A sample of 232 participants reported their habits of filing tax returns early or close to the deadline. Using this information, Fazio and Granados Samayoa assessed how strongly participants leaned towards positive or negative signals in encountering new situations.
The results showed a correlation between a stronger negative bias and a tendency to delay submitting tax returns.
“People who generalize negative attitudes more tend to procrastinate unnecessarily,” Granados Samayoa noted.
Exploring Self-Control and Task Completion
The second study involved 147 college students who could earn course credit by participating in research activities.
Aside from evaluating the students’ weighting bias, the study also examined whether self-control measures impacted task-related behavior. How students rated their motivation and ability to reflect on their initial thoughts about the research program influenced whether they started early or postponed their participation.