Motivated procrastination

This study provides a rigorous empirical test for motivated memory as a cause for procrastination. In a longitudinal experiment over four weeks, individuals must complete a cumbersome task of unknown length and receive noisy signals about their assigned workload. Varying scope for motivated memory results in more optimistic beliefs among workers who receive negative signals, but not among those who receive positive ones. This suppression of negative news through motivated memory causes individuals to defer more work to the future.