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Read This Paper Later: Procrastination with Time-Consistent Preferences

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  • Fischer, Carolyn
Abstract
A model of time-consistent procrastination is developed to assess the extent to which the observed behavior is compatible with rational behavior. When a finite work requirement must be completed by a deadline, the remaining time for leisure is an exhaustible resource. With a positive rate of time preference, the optimal allocation of this resource results in more hours spent working (and fewer in leisure) the closer the deadline. Key qualitative findings of psychological studies of academic procrastination are consistent with the standard natural resource management principles implied by the model, when suitably adapted to task aversiveness, uncertainty, and multiple deadlines. However, quantitatively, the fully rational model requires an extremely high rate of time preference or elasticity of intertemporal substitution to generate serious procrastination; furthermore, it cannot explain undesired procrastination. A companion paper, "Read This Paper Even Later: Procrastination with Time Inconsistent Preferences" analyzes the extent to which alternative time discounting preferences can better explain such impatience and address the issue of self-control failures.

Suggested Citation

  • Fischer, Carolyn, 1999. "Read This Paper Later: Procrastination with Time-Consistent Preferences," Discussion Papers 10590, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:rffdps:10590
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.10590
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Saez-Marti, Maria & Sjögren, Anna, 2008. "Deadlines and distractions," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 143(1), pages 153-176, November.
    2. Frakes, Michael D. & Wasserman, Melissa F., 2020. "Procrastination at the Patent Office?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 183(C).
    3. de Oliveira, Angela C.M. & Jacobson, Sarah, 2021. "(Im)patience by proxy: Making intertemporal decisions for others," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 83-99.
    4. Akin, Zafer & Yavas, Abdullah, 2023. "Elicited Time Preferences and Behavior in Long-Run Projects," MPRA Paper 117133, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Fischer, Carolyn, 1999. "Read This Paper Even Later: Procrastination with Time-Inconsistent Preferences," RFF Working Paper Series dp-99-20, Resources for the Future.
    6. Caplan, Arthur J. & Gilbert, John, 2004. "The Folly Of Dillydally," Economics Research Institute, ERI Series 28341, Utah State University, Economics Department.
    7. Fabian Herweg & Daniel Müller, 2011. "Performance of procrastinators: on the value of deadlines," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 70(3), pages 329-366, March.
    8. Sumit Agarwal & Yongheng Deng & Jia He, 2020. "Time Preferences, Mortgage Choice and Mortgage Default," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 23(2), pages 777-813.
    9. Weinschenk, Philipp, 2012. "Increasing workload in a stochastic environment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 286-288.
    10. Emre Ozdenoren & Stephen W. Salant & Dan Silverman, 2012. "Willpower And The Optimal Control Of Visceral Urges," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 342-368, April.
    11. Arthur Caplan & John Gilbert, 2008. "'D' is for dilly-dally?," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(14), pages 1085-1088.
    12. Akin, Zafer, 2012. "Intertemporal decision making with present biased preferences," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 30-47.
    13. Sumit Agarwal & Yongheng Deng & Jia He, 2020. "Time Preferences, Mortgage Choice and Mortgage Default," International Real Estate Review, Global Social Science Institute, vol. 23(2), pages 151-187.
    14. Philipp Weinschenk, 2010. "Increasing Workload in a Stochastic Environment," Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods 2010_43, Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods.
    15. Krčál, Ondřej & Peer, Stefanie & Staněk, Rostislav, 2021. "Can time-inconsistent preferences explain hypothetical biases?," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    16. Burger, Nicholas & Charness, Gary & Lynham, John, 2011. "Field and online experiments on self-control," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 393-404, March.
    17. Stracca, Livio, 2004. "Behavioral finance and asset prices: Where do we stand?," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 373-405, June.
    18. Raphaël Le Bouc & Mathias Pessiglione, 2022. "A neuro-computational account of procrastination behavior," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    19. Dongmei Guo & Shouyang Wang & Lin Zhao, 2020. "More Stringent Cap or Higher Penalty Fee? Dealing with Procrastination in Environmental Protection," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 21(1), pages 41-69, May.
    20. Michael D. Frakes & Melissa F. Wasserman, 2016. "Procrastination in the Workplace: Evidence from the U.S. Patent Office," NBER Working Papers 22987, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Sanjay Jain, 2009. "Self-Control and Optimal Goals: A Theoretical Analysis," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(6), pages 1027-1045, 11-12.
    22. Artem Razumovskii, 2023. "Interim Deadline for Procrastinators," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp769, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    23. Livio Stracca, 2002. "Behavioural Finance and Aggregate Market Behaviour: Where do we Stand?," Discussion Papers in Economics 02/10, Division of Economics, School of Business, University of Leicester.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Resource /Energy Economics and Policy;

    JEL classification:

    • H1 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • L5 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance

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