Researchers identify nine types of procrastinators and explain the emotional roots behind the behavior.
Key facts
- •Dr. Itamar Shatz is publishing a book on procrastination this week.
- •The nine identified types include dreamers, rebels, hedonists, thrill-seekers, zigzaggers, worriers, pessimists, perfectionists, and burnouts.
- •Ian MacRae suggests framing procrastination as an action rather than a permanent identity.
- •Professor Fuschia Sirois states that procrastination is an attempt to dodge negative feelings rather than a reaction to the task itself.
- •Brain activity shows that the amygdala reacts to perceived threats faster than the rational prefrontal cortex.
Dr. Itamar Shatz, a lecturer at Cambridge University, has identified nine distinct types of procrastinators, ranging from dreamers to perfectionists. While these labels can help individuals understand their habits, experts emphasize that procrastination is often driven by the avoidance of negative emotions rather than fixed personality traits.
Categorizing procrastination styles
According to Shatz, the nine types of procrastinators include dreamers, rebels, hedonists, thrill-seekers, and zigzaggers. The list also includes worriers, pessimists, perfectionists, and burnouts. Workplace psychologist Ian MacRae of the British Psychological Society suggests that these labels should be viewed as temporary behaviors rather than permanent character traits.
The emotional roots of delay
Professor Fuschia Sirois of Durham University argues that procrastination is fundamentally a strategy to avoid unpleasant emotions associated with a task. Brain studies indicate that when a person senses a threat, the amygdala activates faster than the prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain responsible for rational thought.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Health.
