Members in the Media
From: The New York Times

Precrastination: When the Early Bird Gets the Shaft

My baby teeth never fell out. Instead, I yanked them out, roots and all, as soon as they were loose.

I could have saved myself considerable pain by letting nature take its course. But I’m a serial “precrastinator”: I flip pancakes before bubbles have formed on the surface; I get to the grocery store before it opens; I turn in work before it’s due. The urge to complete a task is so strong I forge ahead even when I know waiting would lead to a better outcome.

Yes, this might sound a little nonsensical. But it’s not uncommon.

David Rosenbaum, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, published a study in 2014 in which he coined the term “precrastination,” which he defines as the tendency to tackle subgoals at the earliest opportunity — even at the expense of extra effort.

“It’s like going to the grocery store, loading up your basket with a bunch of apples, then schlepping them with you as you shop even though you know you’ll pass them again on the way to the checkout counter,” Dr. Rosenbaum said.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The New York Times

More of our Members in the Media >


APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines.

Please login with your APS account to comment.