Work

Time perspectives and precrastination: Understanding early task completion in a time-moving perspective

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between precrastination-a tendency to complete tasks early-and the time-moving perspective. Given the opposing nature of precrastination and procrastination, we hypothesize that precrastination correlates positively with a time-moving perspective, based on the finding that procrastination correlates with an ego-moving tendency. To test this, we conducted a survey with 366 participants (172 females aged 17 to 68), assessing their tendencies toward precrastination and their responses to the classic "ambiguous meeting question" (McGlone & Harding, 1998). Participants who selected "Monday" as the answer to the ambiguous time-related question displayed higher precrastination scores than those who chose "Friday," supporting the hypothesis. To address the potential subjectivity of self-reported data, we included an objective measurement by recording participants' arrival times for a scheduled test in a controlled setting involving 84 students (42 females aged 18 to 25). The results showed that participants who arrived early were more likely to choose "Monday" in a modified version of the "ambiguous meeting question," further validating our hypothesis. This study highlights the significant role of precrastination in shaping time perception.

Source: Acta Psychologica

DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104975

Authors: Juanjuan Wang, Yi Sun

Institutions: Xi'an International Studies University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

Language: English

Topic: Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,670

Funder: Guangdong University of Foreign Studies