Lesson three - understand your reinforcement factors
In this lesson, we're taking a closer look at why procrastination persists over time, focusing on something known as reinforcement factors. This is the final variable in the procrastination reinforcement loop.
Recapping was covered in the first two lessons, we learned that we all have unhelpful core beliefs acquired throughout our lives. These unhelpful beliefs create discomfort when we face certain tasks. To cope with that discomfort, we procrastinate. Although procrastination momentarily alleviates this discomfort, the cycle continues, perpetuated by 'reinforcement factors'.
Reinforcement factors are the outcomes or consequences of an action that influence us to repeat it. They're instrumental in shaping our behaviors. When procrastinating important tasks, we encounter a variety of outcomes. Some positive, such as the entertainment we find while aimlessly browsing social media, and some negative, like the guilt that accumulates when delaying a task. These positive and negative outcomes, or reinforcement factors, are what keep us hooked to procrastination in the long term.
Positive Outcomes
Let's first delve into the positive outcomes of procrastination, beginning with amusement - a common feeling when procrastinating. Have you ever found yourself engrossed in a YouTube rabbit hole, postponing a crucial task?
This amusement-seeking behavior is deeply ingrained in our brain's wiring. Every amusing social media video or meme provides our brain a hint about where to find pleasure, compelling us to return to the source.
This was effectively demonstrated by B. F. Skinner, a pioneer in the field of behaviorism. Skinner's experiments in the 1930s showed that manipulating the consequences of an animal's actions could significantly alter their behavior. His well-known experiment used a simple apparatus: a hungry rat in a box could press a bar to deliver a food pellet. The rats quickly learned to press the bar, gorging on as much food as possible.
This behavior parallels human actions when scrolling through social media feeds, which function like Skinner's food-dispensing bar. Finding amusement in our feeds is the food pellet - a reinforcement factor, prompting us to constantly engage with our phones, often unconsciously.
Skinner also discovered another reinforcement factor using a modified experiment that subjected rats to mild electric shocks. The rats quickly learned that pressing the bar could stop the shock, demonstrating a powerful motivator - avoidance of discomfort.
Like the rats, humans also exhibit this behavior. The minor discomforts we experience - such as boredom, overwhelm, or inadequacy - when facing a challenging task are akin to the rat's mild electric shocks. We, too, learn to avoid these feelings, seeking refuge in more comfortable activities like responding to messages or watching Netflix.
As soon as we experience this discomfort, we begin searching for an escape. Switching tasks to something more comfortable like responding to a message provides instant relief. Our brain quickly learns that this is an effective strategy for avoiding discomfort.
Negative Outcomes
In addition to immediate benefits like amusement and discomfort avoidance, procrastination also creates negative outcomes that perpetuate the cycle of delay. I conducted a survey involving over 300 chronic procrastinators, asking them about the most significant negative consequences of procrastination. Their responses highlighted two dominant reinforcement factors.
Firstly, procrastination impedes individuals from achieving their personal goals. Firstly, procrastination hindered individuals from achieving their personal goals. The more you postpone, the more tasks pile up, leading to mounting pressure and feelings of being overwhelmed. This pressure cultivates an urge to escape, heightening the likelihood of future procrastination.
Secondly, and most commonly, procrastination was linked to increased stress and decreased self-esteem. Procrastinators often experienced guilt and shame, leading to self-criticism. Though intended as a 'tough love' approach, this self-chastising creates even more pressure, driving us to avoid the task even further. This, in turn, perpetuates the cycle of procrastination.
Changing Your Procrastination Habits
Understanding your own reinforcement factors is the final piece in the puzzle that is your procrastination. The better you are at noticing your own reinforcement factors, the easier it will be to manipulate them to help you do the things you actually want to.
To foster this understanding, whenever you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself two questions:
What is a positive outcome of putting off the task?
What is a negative outcome of putting off the task?
By bringing your awareness to these factors, you put yourself in a position where you can start manipulating them. Unit three of Doer is designed to help you better understand your own reinforcement factors. With knowledge and understanding of these factors, the road to conquering procrastination becomes significantly clearer.
Key ideas:
Procrastination persists over time due to 'reinforcement factors', which are the outcomes or consequences of an action that motivate us to repeat it.
There are positive outcomes associated with procrastination, such as discovering amusing content and avoiding discomfort, like boredom or overwhelm.
Negative outcomes associated with procrastination include feelings of guilt and stress from delaying tasks.
Both the positive and negative outcomes of procrastination make us more likely to repeat this behavior in the future.
Understanding your own reinforcement factors is one of the keys to overcoming procrastination. Once these factors are understood, you can begin to manipulate them.
This article is an adaptation of the third audio lesson of Doer: the science-based guide to overcoming procrastination. For good! Discover the root cause of your procrastination and start mastering the skill of accomplishing important tasks by downloading "Doer" today!
