Procrastination and Task Avoidance

Related to my recent ponderings on student motivation is procrastination. This being the most obvious side effect of reduced motivation (students delaying working). I did write an assignment a few months ago on "Managing behaviour in the classroom" and procrastination was the behaviour I focused on at that time. I did plently of research but one source in particular I found especially insightful (Take a peek online here).

One of the findings indicated that procrastinators "are frequently unsure of their ability to complete a task. Consequently they delay starting the task in Question." It goes on to say:

At the heart of such irrational fear for procrastinators is an inappropriate concept of what constitutes an adequately accomplished task. Failure is inevitable; standards are simply too high. To circumvent the emotional consequence of this failure, procrastinators delay beginning a task until it cannot be completed satisfactorily. The payoff for the procrastinator is that his or her avoidant behaviour furnishes a convenient excuse for the inevitable failure caused by this avoidance. A task done poorly by the procrastinator can be blamed on time limitation or even laziness, rather than inability. In this manner, procrastination serves as an ego defensive function, not unlike that postulated in psychoanalytic theory. Furthermore, its occurrence is perpetuated because of this reason, despite the anxiety it seems to create in the frantic last-minute efforts of the procrastinator. (Ferrari et al.)

If you saw yourself in that passage, you wouldn't be the only one. What I find interesting is that yet agin we see a link to prospect theory. This time it is loss of self-image that is being protected. You might say that procrastinators work hard at procrastinating in the sense of putting up with the anxiety - but the payoff is worth it, because they don't have to face up to being unable - they can always blame the procrastination for any underperformance or failure.

From the student's point of view however, teachers can take action to eliminate this reason for procrastinating. At the heart of this passage is the idea that students have "an inappropriate concept of what constitutes an adequately accomplished task". As a teacher then, I need to ensure my students have a correct concept of what is adequate. There are several things I can do to help bring this about:

• At the beginning of any task or assignment, present a good example of a task or assignment completed. Talk the students through it.
• Provide more information about what the students are to achieve.
• Ask questions to determine understanding - specifically target known procrastinators.
• Regularly tutorial students to monitor progress, ask direct questions to find out actual attainment, do not be hazed.

This is often easier said than done. Past educational (or home) experiences have taught some students that being wrong is to be a failure, therefore they try to haze their teachers rather than use them to correct their understanding. This takes time to correct, but until it is corrected to a sufficient degree, students "hide" from their teachers, pretending they understand when deep down they still have "an inappropriate concept of what constitutes an adequately accomplished task" and are subconsciously planning to procrastinate.

What is really key, is that students do understand what they need to do, and feel that they can do it.

I have found that the cognitivist approach works best in these situations. My students are far too clever to be fooled by mere positive talking, and the stick and carrot approach only works if students are earning the carrots they get (which can sometimes mean all they get is stick - so it only serves to reinforce their belief in their own failure). What I do instead, by way of using the cognitivist approach, is to tell them about Ferrari et al, explain the motivations for procrastinating, and explain the solution. Empower (how I hate that word) them to regulate their own behaviour, by helping them to recognise the stimulating factors.

It will probably take longer to see change this way but I am more convinced that the change will be real. Students who change from the inside (motivated by their own understanding) are surely better off than those who change on the surface only, while all their doubts and fears remain, and which will resume control again as soon as the student is out of your influence.

Intrinsic Motivational Growth and the End of Term

Perhaps like me you have witnessed the increasing business of your students as the end of the academic year approached. Perhaps also like me you saw motivation to work increase beyond your wildest dreams, soaring to heights you thought the students could never attain. Perhaps like me then you also experienced the disappointment that such motivation was saved up until the very last minute.

From my point of view it is disappointing when such strategies effectively relegate the students to grades below their capability. I have given the problem much thought and yesterday began to see a connection I had not seen before.

My Hypothesis

Once again Prospect Theory may have a connection. Prospect Theory basically says that people are more likely to take action to avoid a loss, than they are to take action to recieve a gain.

I beleive this principle is in action within many of our students. My hypothesis is as follows:

Typically intrinsic motivation drops after the first few weeks on the course. They are more familiar with the territory, they have made friends and might therefore have more distractions. The novelty has worn off and other life factors are impacting academic success. They are beginning to "chill out" too much and there is a sense that there is plenty of time. This is the part we teachers all hate, and we have to keep finding ways to get our students to value their education. In more extreme circumstances students refuse to work, have tantrums etc.

Then as the end of the year approaches, the mindset begins to change. Suddenly, in spite of their previous performance (or lack of it), they have decided that they do want their qualification after all - it would be such a waste of time to spend a year at college and come away with nothing!

And there we find the connection. After all the weeks and months have passed, almost regardless of the type of student, each one of them feels they have now made an investment of time and effort.

From the teachers perspective it might not have been enough time or effort, but from the student's point of view the investment has been made. With this new perspective the student looks at the approaching end of year, looks at their grades, their pile of unfinished work, and suddenly wants to get it done.

Prospect Theory says students are more likely to take action to avoid a loss, than they are to take action to recieve a gain. Because students now feel they have made an investment they now have something to lose. They feel it likely that they might lose their invesment and so are more likely to take action to avoid the loss.

And there you have it. My hypothesis in a nutshell. Take a peek below and you can see it in a diagram too.

Even more amusing, if you let it happen, is the students who continue to come in to college even after the end of term. Grasping with both hands their "last chance saloon". Students with appalling attendance records during term time somehow find the motivation to come into college during their holiday. An incredible increase in motivation. Wow.

Of course this is just my theory, I am happy to discuss its potential flaws. We mustn't also forget the other extrinsic factors like fear of parents, fear of not going to uni etc... or are they intrinsic too?

I think my next student study will be based around this. Perhaps prospect theory comes into it, no doubt other factors, but I want to know what the factors are. Then I can start introducing them earlier in the year to bring about this marvelous motivational change sooner.

Prospect Theory and Student Motivation

I know I promised to talk about the behaviourist approach to discipline, but I just had to say something about the recent BBC Horizon programme - "How to Make Better Decisions".

Part of the program went into an area of behavioural psychology called Prospect Theory. Although students motivation was not the subject of discussion I could see definate connections between students decisions to work or not and Prospect Theory.

So what is Prospect Theory?

Prospect theory basically explains how human motivation is altered depending on a persons perceptions of risk. Simply it says - people are more likely to take action to avoid a loss, than they are to take action to recieve a gain.

(You can read more on Wikipedia, or for a more succinct article, on EconPort.)

It took me about half a second to make a connection between this and my own student's motivation.

Impact on student's motivation

My hypothesis is that education, in the student's mind, is more about recieving a gain than it is about avoiding a loss. Their qualification is seen as something that they currently don't posess. Likewise improved job prospects, possibility of increased earnings etc. are all future events - 'maybes' that they currently don't own. They lose nothing that is currently theirs if they fail. This is particularly true if the student already has low self-esteem - then they can't even lose that.

On the flip side, students do own some things that do stimulate more vigorous action.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is one example. Students who recieve EMA feel a definate sense of ownership. If their EMA is paid late even by one day, students rarely fail to take up the issue with their tutors. On one occasion a student, mistakenly thinking that certain college employees are to blame, even spoke about making complaints against those staff members they percieved were to blame. I say this because it is important in illustrating the students sense of ownership. Prospect Theory says these students are more likely to take action to avoid a percieved loss. This is born out in practice - and as I just mentioned, even motivates potentially more drastic action.

In some class situations (thankfully not mine) the students most prized possesion may be the respect of their peers. If so, Prospect Theory says, they will take more drastic action to keep that peer respect than they will to do anything the teacher asks.

Owning the future

Assuming the above is true (and I believe it is), solutions are both obvious and difficult. One solution I have begun to adopt with my students, is to help them to take ownership of their future. They need to feel that their next step, whether employment, whether university, (whatever it is), is something that they own right now - and by implication, something that they can lose. When a student takes ownership in this way, Prospect Theory says they will be more likely to take action to prevent the loss of their future dream.

So how are we doing it? I, along with my team, have adopted a strategy that introduces students to their next step almost as soon as they start with us. We do this by taking students to open days at universities, by inviting in speakers from universities, by getting the students to start deciding straight away what their next step will be. To have an aspiration that they own.

True, their future next step is 2 years away. But it is that very idea that we need to change in the minds of our students. By owning their future next step now, Prospect Theory becomes an advantage to our students, and not a distraction.