It’s tax season, and researcher Joseph Ferrari, Ph.D. is talking about procrastination on 
today’s Talk of the Nation radio show. He suggests that a “reward system” might combat our national tendency to procrastinate on filing tax returns. You can listen to Ferrari make his case on the show’s podcast (available by 6 p.m. EDT).
Trouble is, Americans procrastinate in many other areas, from starting a work project to washing those dirty dishes. In fact, Ferrari says that 20 percent of the population are chronic procrastinators. (That 20 percent figure caught my attention, because it’s very close to the higher estimates of ADHD prevalence; more below.) As Ferrari’s profile on the Adelphi University website explains:
“Everyone procrastinates, but not everyone is a procrastinator,” says Ferrari. “We all put tasks off, but my research has found that 20 percent of U.S. men and women are chronic procrastinators. They delay at home, work, school and in relationships – procrastination is a way of life for them. Let’s put 20 percent in perspective. That’s higher than the number of people diagnosed with clinical depression or phobias that are considered to be major problems.” Read the rest of this entry »
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