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A System Designed to Minimize Procrastination

Neophytos Gregoriou
European University Cyprus
Stun. No: F20132341
PSY304 Theories of Learning
Spring Semester 2015
Date of Submission 29/4/15

Abstract
In this study we will focus on the problem I have with the failure to do my studies and
work at home, due to procrastination. I first identify the reason behind my
procrastination and then we will look at a process I composed to help me release
myself from it using operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement. We will
also look at additional motivational ways to help me even farther. Finally I try to see
whether something in the system I will implement will go wrong and what I can to do
to prevent it.

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A System Designed to Minimize Procrastination

Introduction
The purpose of this study is to compose a procedure into which i will be able
to modify my own behavior. There are 2 main behaviors targeted for modification.
First is procrastination. Procrastination has in many ways become an obstacle in my
everyday life, taking away in total many hours where otherwise could be productive
and saving me so much time from running around trying to catch up with my
obligations. Studies showed an estimation of 80-95% of students in college
procrastinates. Also there is a correlation between procrastination and poor
performance along with procrastinators who feel miserable in the long run in contrast
to those who do their work in time. (Steel, 2007). Procrastination has always messed
up my priorities in such ways that eventually I get frustrated with my own self. The
level of procrastination was sometimes so severe that in some cases I couldnt meet
up with deadlines and due dates with hurtful, to my mental state, consequences. Even
though I understand its going to be hard to transfer myself from the 95% of people to
the 5% I still need to make myself more useful to, myself, and also improve my
overall well-being, not to mention reducing my everyday stress by prioritizing well
my responsibilities. The second, falls in the borders of procrastination but in a
different form, which is also as important and its worth to mention it. The second
problem is that even if I find the motivation to start doing what I was supposed to do I
will find distractions, to purposefully or not, stop what I was doing. These distractions
will keep me away for a few minutes or other times I will lose track of time fiddling
with unnecessary stuff and ultimately take too much time to finish what I started. This

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leads to another problem. If I stop writing what I ought to and start procrastinating by
the time Ill go back to writing I will most likely forget what I needed to write, taking
me even more time to track my thoughts to remember. My goal after I implement this
process is to minimize as much as possible the likelihood of me procrastinating.
The problem
The first one is procrastination in the form of stalling the initialization of
working on my studies. The reason for procrastinating is the lack of motivation, the
boredom that arises just from just the thought that I have to start working and the
distractions around me which act as little immediate rewards and are preferred instead
the delayed but bigger rewards like finishing an essay to get a burden of my chest.
Distractions like, anything electronic that I have access to, giving me useless stuff and
reasons to procrastinate on. The second form of procrastination is when I stop in the
middle of work and begin doing unnecessary things. Even now is Im writing this
essay i stop to procrastinate for a little bit. The reasons again are the loss of
motivation, the work is not sufficiently interesting and again the things giving me
opportunities to channel my procrastination are electronics. But if the work I have to
do is not interesting then there is nothing to be done to make it better. A behavior of
mine that I must take in consideration is that as my work comes to its final stages the
probabilities to distract myself are larger.
The procedure
Design
The process will consist of 2 schedules of reinforcement. The first schedule
will play the role of a negative reinforcement that will try to stop me from doing
unnecessary things and push me to start doing my job. The reason is as I said before
that I wont have the motivation to start or I will stop my studies, so I will need
something to remind me that I need to begin. I will ask my mother, father or anyone
who is in the house to remind me. The schedule will be variable interval. On an
average of 45 minutes I will have them come to me and ask me if Im studding, thus

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playing the role of negative reinforcement. Furthermore I will have this schedule be
progressive because like a said before, as Im reaching the end of my studies there are
more chances that I will stop my work and start procrastinating. So I will have the
mean time of notification decreased in order for the chances to procrastinate remain
stable. This schedule might as well be called reverse progressive variable ratio
schedule. Since not everyday someone will be home to put them up for the task I will
program my computer to remind me. The second schedule will be fixed ratio and will
play the role of positive reinforcement. If Im able to finish or study successfully for
45 continuous minutes then I will allow myself to have a break and watch a 20 minute
TV series episode of any kind. The reason I added this schedule in the procedure is
based on studies in which they suggested that it is best to take breaks after spending
some time studying. Reading your studying in one go as weird as it sounds is not
recommended owning to the fact that your brain will stop working as well, your focus
level will drop making in harder to pay attention. (Gilden, 2011). So not only I will
start again with a fresh memory ready to absorb in some more of these worlds
wonders but, Ill have the opportunity to tame my urges to procrastinate, killing two
birds with one stone. Also I should take in consideration the cues that prompt me to
distract myself, so an effective way is to avoid the cues altogether, conveniently they
are all in my room, so the best way to proceed is to not study in there. Unfortunately
my laptop is a major getaway from my studies but ironically I need it for my studies.
Also automatically through the force of habit I start browsing mindlessly websites so
it will be better if I deactivate temporarily some websites, during the final
examination period at least (Wieber, & Gollwitzer, 2010).
Discussion
Another motivator I was thinking of adding was a final piece of the procedure. I was
going to include a positive reinforcement at the end. As I mentioned previously my

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goal is to minimize the possibility and reasons to procrastinate and for the sake of this
fact I thought I could add a reward for myself which I will obtain when I finish all my
studies in the end of the semester. This could be a new video game, or travel
somewhere. But knowing myself this would not have an effect since I would buy a
video game anyway, so this reinforcement would be unrealistic and asking too much
of myself. In addition to that, the excess procrastinating, the failure to meet deadlines
me walking in the class with empty hands will cost me points from my grade so its a
punishment in itself and at the same time a motivator. The reason I did not add any
punishment is because not only it will not enhance but it will prevent my motivational
energy, since knowing that if I Im going to get punished is reason enough to not use
this design to help me. In the first schedule where a third person would notify me
might have some problems. The person himself might forget that he needs to notify
me or he will not be at the house all day long at my disposal. Also Im not sure if
there is an alarm that progressively sets off sooner than before but I could just set
various alarms myself. Even so, the alarm doesnt know if Im studding or not and it
will set off anyway, annoying me each and every time losing my concentration, or
anticipating it so much my thoughts will revolve around the fact that it will be set off
in any minute, eventually building myself a torture machine. But it might not be the
case. The only way to know is to try it out and make the fine adjustments accordingly.
This will certainly be the first draft and more will come, some experimentation will be
made.
References
Gilden, D. (2011). The Impact of Taking Breaks on Learning and Memory. University
of Texas. Retrieved from http://www.saveiowasummers.com/wp
content/uploads/2010/07/The-Impact-of-Taking-Breaks-on-Learning-andMemory-by-David-Gilden-Ph.D.-UT-Austin.pdf
Wieber, F., Gollwitzer, P. M. (2010) Overcoming procrastination through planning.
The Thief of Time: Philosophical Essays on Procrastination. doi:

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0.1093/acprof:oso/9780195376685.001.0001
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review
of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1),
65-94.doi:10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65