2026/07/20 by Lisa Bäulke, Benjamin Nagengast, Ulrich Trautwein
Psychology · #Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies #Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes #Workaholism, burnout, and well-being
paper · doi:10.1080/00461520.2026.2686109
Procrastination—the voluntary and unnecessary delay of an intended personally important action, despite awareness of negative consequences and accompanied by subjective discomfort—is a widespread phenomenon and has typically been conceptualized as a result of self-regulatory failure. Existing theoretical approaches propose various mechanisms underlying procrastination, yet these have not been integrated into a comprehensive framework. Moreover, prior research tends to focus either on state aspects of procrastination or on more stable interindividual differences; it rarely addresses different levels simultaneously. With the proposed DEferral dispLAY (DELAY3) framework, we aim to move the field forward in four respects. First, we integrate currently dominant approaches to more fully describe the (lack of) self-regulatory process underlying procrastination behaviors. First, we integrate currently dominant approaches to more comprehensively describe the (lack of) self-regulatory processes underlying procrastination. Second, we extend previous theoretical approaches by explicitly considering three different levels of procrastination, including situation-specific processes, domain-specific person characteristics, and general traits. Third, we take contextual factors of procrastination and their potential moderating role for individual behavior into account. Fourth, feedback cycles across levels, and regulatory processes on a state level are described. The DELAY3 framework provides a comprehensive framework for procrastination research. It offers guidance for future research and allows the derivation of targeted interventions.