Motivated Procrastination

References

• Allcott H, Kessler JB (2019) The welfare effects of nudges: A case study of energy use social comparisons. Amer. Econom. J. Appl. Econom. 11(1):236–276.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Altmann S, Traxler C (2014) Nudges at the dentist. Eur. Econom. Rev. 72:19–38.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Altmann S, Traxler C, Weinschenk P (2022) Deadlines and memory limitations. Management Sci. 68(9):6733–6750.Link, Google Scholar
• Amelio A, Zimmermann F (2023) Motivated memory in economics: A review. Games 14(1):15.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Antinyan A, Asatryan Z (2025) Nudging for tax compliance: A meta-analysis. Econom. J. 135(668):1033–1068.Google Scholar
• Ariely D, Wertenbroch K (2002) Procrastination, deadlines, and performance: Self-control by precommitment. Psych. Sci. 13(3):219–224.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Augenblick N, Lazarus E, Thaler M (2025) Overinference from weak signals and underinference from strong signals. Quart. J. Econom. 140(1):335–401.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Augenblick N, Jack BK, Kaur S, Masiye F, Swanson N (2023) Retrieval failures and consumption smoothing: A field experiment on seasonal poverty. NBER Working Paper 35430, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA.Google Scholar
• Barron K (2021) Belief updating: Does the ‘good-news, bad-news’ asymmetry extend to purely financial domains? Experiment. Econom. 24(1):31–58.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Bénabou R, Tirole J (2002) Self-confidence and personal motivation. Quart. J. Econom. 117(3):871–915.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Bénabou R, Tirole J (2016) Mindful economics: The production, consumption, and value of beliefs. J. Econom. Perspect. 30(3):141–164.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Benndorf V, Rau HA, Sölch C (2019) Minimizing learning in repeated real-effort tasks. J. Behav. Experiment. Finance 22:239–248.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Bernheim BD (2016) The good, the bad, and the ugly: A unified approach to behavioral welfare economics. J. Benefit-Cost Anal. 7(1):12–68.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Beswick G, Mann L (1994) State orientation and procrastination. Kuhl J, Beckmann J, eds. Volition and Personality: Action Versus State Orientation (Hogrefe & Huber, Göttingen, Germany), 391–396.Google Scholar
• Bönisch F, König T, Schweighofer-Kodritsch S, Weizsäcker G (2026) Beliefs as a means of self-control? Evidence from a dynamic student survey. J. Econom. Dynam. Control 184:105279.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Bosch-Rosa C, Gietl D, Heinemann F (2025) Risk taking under limited liability and moral hazard: Quantifying the role of motivated beliefs. Management Sci. 71(2):976–991.Link, Google Scholar
• Bracha A, Brown DJ (2012) Affective decision making: A theory of optimism bias. Games Econom. Behav. 75(1):67–80.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Breig Z, Gibson M, Shrader J (2023) Why do we procrastinate? Present bias and optimism. Working paper, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.Google Scholar
• Bronchetti ET, Kessler JB, Magenheim EB, Taubinsky D, Zwick E (2023) Is attention produced optimally? Econometrica 91(2):669–707.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Brunnermeier MK, Parker JA (2005) Optimal expectations. Amer. Econom. Rev. 95(4):1092–1118.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Brunnermeier MK, Papakonstantinou F, Parker JA (2017) Optimal time-inconsistent beliefs: Misplanning, procrastination, and commitment. Management Sci. 63(5):1318–1340.Link, Google Scholar
• Buehler R, Griffin D, MacDonald H (1997) The role of motivated reasoning in optimistic time predictions. Personality Soc. Psych. Bull. 23(3):238–247.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Buehler R, Griffin D, Peetz J (2010) The planning fallacy: Cognitive, motivational, and social origins. Zanna MP, Olson JM, eds. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, vol. 43 (Academic Press, San Diego), 1–62.Google Scholar
• Buehler R, Griffin D, Ross M (1994) Exploring the “planning fallacy”: Why people underestimate their task completion times. J. Personality Soc. Psych. 67(3):366–381.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Byram SJ (1997) Cognitive and motivational factors influencing time prediction. J. Experiment. Psych. Appl 3(3):216–239.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Cadena X, Schoar A, Cristea A, Delgado-Medrano HM (2011) Fighting procrastination in the workplace: An experiment. NBER Working Paper 16944, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA.Google Scholar
• Calzolari G, Nardotto M (2017) Effective reminders. Management Sci. 63(9):2915–2932.Link, Google Scholar
• Chang WC, Wong WK, Teo G, Fam A (1997) The motivation to achieve in Singapore: In search of a core construct. Personality Individual Differences 23(5):885–895.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Chen DL, Schonger M, Wickens C (2016) oTree: An open-source platform for laboratory, online, and field experiments. J. Behav. Experiment. Finance 9:88–97.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Chew SH, Huang W, Zhao X (2020) Motivated false memory. J. Political Econom. 128(10):3913–3939.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Cordes C (2025) Motivated memory and favoritism. Working Paper, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany, http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5604430.Google Scholar
• Cordes C, Friedrichsen J, Schudy S (2025) Motivated beliefs under delayed uncertainty resolution. CESifo Working Paper No. 12286, CESifo, Munich, Germany.Google Scholar
• Coutts A (2019) Good news and bad news are still news: Experimental evidence on belief updating. Experiment. Econom. 22(2):369–395.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Dai H, Saccardo S, Han MA, Roh L, Raja N, Vangala S, Modi H, Pandya S, Sloyan M, Croymans DM (2021) Behavioural nudges increase COVID-19 vaccinations. Nature 597(7876):404–409.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Danz D, Vesterlund L, Wilson AJ (2022) Belief elicitation and behavioral incentive compatibility. Amer. Econom. Rev. 112(9):2851–2883.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Della Vigna S, Malmendier U (2006) Paying not to go to the gym. Amer. Econom. Rev. 96(3):694–719.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Drobner C (2022) Motivated beliefs and anticipation of uncertainty resolution. Amer. Econom. Rev. Insights 4(1):89–105.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Drobner C, Goerg SJ (2024) Motivated belief updating and rationalization of information. Management Sci. 70(7):4583–4592.Link, Google Scholar
• Drucker F, Kaufmann M (2022) Excuse-driven present bias. mimeo, Central European University, Vienna, Austria.Google Scholar
• Ebbinghaus H (1885) Über Das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen Zur Experimentellen Psychologie (Duncker & Humblot, Berlin).Google Scholar
• Eil D, Rao JM (2011) The good news-bad news effect: Asymmetric processing of objective information about yourself. Amer. Econom. J. Microeconomics 3(2):114–138.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Engelmann JB, Lebreton M, Salem-Garcia NA, Schwardmann P, van der Weele JJ (2024) Anticipatory anxiety and wishful thinking. Amer. Econom. Rev. 114(4):926–960.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Enke B, Graeber T, Oprea R (2025) Complexity and time. J. Eur. Econom. Assoc. 23(5):1838–1867.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Ericson KM (2017) On the interaction of memory and procrastination: Implications for reminders, deadlines, and empirical estimation. J. Eur. Econom. Assoc. 15(3):692–719.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Ericson KM, Laibson D (2019) Intertemporal choice. Bernheim BD, DellaVigna S, Laibson D, eds. Handbook of Behavioral Economics: Applications and Foundations 1, vol. 2 (Elsevier, Amsterdam), 1–67.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Falk A, Zimmermann F (2018) Information processing and commitment. Econom. J. 128(613):1983–2002.Google Scholar
• Falk A, Becker A, Dohmen T, Huffman D, Sunde U (2023) The preference survey module: A validated instrument for measuring risk, time, and social preferences. Management Sci. 69(4):1935–1950.Link, Google Scholar
• Ferrari JR (1993) Christmas and procrastination: Explaining lack of diligence at a “real-world” task deadline. Personality Individual Differences 14(1):25–33.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Gars J, Prada L, Tripodi E, Borda S (2025) Personalized reminders: Evidence from a field experiment with voluntary retirement savings in Colombia. J. Behav. Experiment. Finance 48:101112.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Gödker K, Jiao P, Smeets P (2021) Investor memory. Working paper, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy.Google Scholar
• Gödker K, Jiao P, Smeets P (2025) Investor memory. Rev. Financial Stud. 38(6):1595–1640.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Golman R, Hagmann D, Loewenstein G (2017) Information avoidance. J. Econom. Literature 55(1):96–135.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Greiner B (2015) Subject pool recruitment procedures: Organizing experiments with ORSEE. J. Econom. Sci. Assoc. 1(1):114–125.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Gross JJ, John OP (2003) Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. J. Personality Soc. Psych. 85(2):348–362.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Habla W, Muller P (2021) Experimental evidence of limited attention at the gym. Experiment. Econom. 24(4):1156–1184.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Hagenbach J, Jacquemet N, Sternal P (2025) The motivated memory of noise. Games Econom. Behav. 152:257–275.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Heidhues P, Strack P (2021) Identifying present bias from the timing of choices. Amer. Econom. Rev. 111(8):2594–2622.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Heidhues P, Köszegi B, Strack P (2023) Misinterpreting yourself. Working paper, DICE, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.Google Scholar
• Helmreich RL, Spence JT (1978) The work and family orientation questionnaire: An objective instrument to assess components of achievement motivation and attitudes towards family and career. JSAS Catalog Selected Documents Psych. 8:35.Google Scholar
• Himmler O, Jäckle R, Weinschenk P (2019) Soft commitments, reminders, and academic performance. Amer. Econom. J. Appl. Econom. 11(2):114–142.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Ho EH, Hagmann D, Loewenstein G (2021) Measuring information preferences. Management Sci. 67(1):126–145.Link, Google Scholar
• Hossain T, Okui R (2013) The binarized scoring rule. Rev. Econom. Stud. 80(3):984–1001.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Huffman D, Raymond C, Shvets J (2022) Persistent overconfidence and biased memory: Evidence from managers. Amer. Econom. Rev. 112(10):3141–3175.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Infante G, Lecouteux G, Sugden R (2016) Preference purification and the inner rational agent: A critique of the conventional wisdom of behavioural welfare economics. J. Econom. Methodology 23(1):1–25.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Kahana MJ, Diamond NB, Aka A (2024) Laws of human memory. Kahana MJ, Wagner AD, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Human Memory, Two Volume Pack: Foundations and Applications (Oxford Academic, Oxford, UK), 29–63.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Kahneman D, Lovallo D (1993) Timid choices and bold forecasts: A cognitive perspective on risk taking. Management Sci. 39(1):17–31.Link, Google Scholar
• Kahneman D, Tversky A (1979) Intuituve prediction: Biases and corrective procedures. TIMS Stud. Management Sci. 12:313–327.Google Scholar
• Kahneman D, Tversky A (1982) Intuitive prediction: Biases and corrective procedures. Kahneman D, Slovic P, Tversky A, eds. Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK), 414–421.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Karlan D, McConnell M, Mullainathan S, Zinman J (2016) Getting to the top of mind: How reminders increase saving. Management Sci. 62(12):3393–3411.Link, Google Scholar
• Kaur S, Kremer M, Mullainathan S (2015) Self-control at work. J. Political Econom. 123(6):1227–1277.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Konečni VJ, Ebbesen EB (1976) Distortions of estimates of numerousness and waiting time. J. Soc. Psych. 100(1):45–50.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Lay C, Silverman S (1996) Trait procrastination, anxiety, and dilatory behavior. Personality Individual Differences 21(1):61–67.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Le Yaouanq Y, Schwardmann P (2022) Learning about one’s self. J. Eur. Econom. Assoc. 20(5):1791–1828.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Lepper M (2024) Excuse-based procrastination. Working paper, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. Google Scholar
• Milgram NA (1991) Procrastination. Dulbecco R, ed. Encyclopedia of Human Biology, vol. 6 (Academic Press, New York), 149–155.Google Scholar
• Milkman KL, Ellis SF, Gromet DM, Jung Y, Luscher AS, Mobarak RS, Paxson MK, et al. (2024) Megastudy shows that reminders boost vaccination but adding free rides does not. Nature 631(8019):179–188.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Möbius MM, Niederle M, Niehaus P, Rosenblat TS (2022) Managing self-confidence: Theory and experimental evidence. Management Sci. 68(11):7793–7817.Link, Google Scholar
• Müller MW (2022) Selective memory around big life decisions. Working paper, University of California, Berkeley, CA.Google Scholar
• Noor J, Takeoka N (2022) Optimal discounting. Econometrica 90(2):585–623.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Norem JK, Cantor N (1986) Defensive pessimism: Harnessing anxiety as motivation. J. Personality Soc. Psych. 51(6):1208–1217.Crossref, Google Scholar
• O’Donoghue T, Rabin M (1999) Doing it now or later. Amer. Econom. Rev. 89(1):103–124.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Ortoleva P (2022) Alternatives to Bayesian updating. Annual Rev. Econom. 15:1–28.Google Scholar
• Pychyl TA, Sirois FM (2016) Procrastination, emotion regulation, and well-being. Sirois FM, Pychyl TA, eds. Procrastination, Health, and Well-Being (Academic Press, San Diego), 163–188.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Roth C, Schwardmann P, Tripodi E (2024) Misperceived effectiveness and the demand for psychotherapy. J. Public Econom. 240:105254.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Roy MM, Christenfeld NJ, McKenzie CR (2005) Underestimating the duration of future events: Memory incorrectly used or memory bias? Psych. Bull. 131(5):738–756.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Roy-Chowdhury V (2022) Self-confidence and motivated memory loss: Evidence from schools. Cambridge Working Papers in Economics No. 2213, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.Google Scholar
• Sabini J, Silver M (1981) Procrastinating. J. Theory Soc. Behav. 11(2):207–221.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Sial AY, Sydnor JR, Taubinsky D (2024) Biased memory and perceptions of self-control. NBER Working Paper 30825, National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA.Google Scholar
• Steel P (2007) The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psych. Bull. 133(1):65–94.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Steel P (2010) Arousal, avoidant and decisional procrastinators: Do they exist? Personality Individual Differences 48(8):926–934.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Thaler M (2026) Good news is not a sufficient condition for motivated reasoning. Rev. Econom. Statist., ePub ahead of print February 4, https://doi.org/10.1162/REST.a.1702.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Wilson A, Vespa E (2018) Paired-uniform scoring: Implementing a binarized scoring rule with non-mathematical language. Working paper, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.Google Scholar
• Wixted JT, Ebbesen EB (1991) On the form of forgetting. Psych. Sci. 2(6):409–415.Crossref, Google Scholar
• Zhang S (2025) Projection, experience, and intertemporal choice. Working paper, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.Google Scholar
• Zimmermann F (2020) The dynamics of motivated beliefs. Amer. Econom. Rev. 110(2):337–361.Crossref, Google Scholar