SUSCEPTIBILITIES TO REINFORCEMENT (IMMEDIATE AND DELAYED) AND ANTICIPATED PUNISHMENT AS PREDICTORS OF IRRATIONAL PROCRASTINATION

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Various studies have reported positive relationships between Irrational Procrastination (IP) and impulsivity, a trait that could be considered susceptible to immediate reinforcement. The theory of susceptibility to reinforcement and punishment proposed by Gray has been reviewed, and subcategories have been suggested, such as susceptibility to immediate and delayed reinforcement, as well as susceptibility to immediate and anticipated punishment, variables that have only been studied in relation to IP on a single occasion. OBJECTIVE. To study the relationship between IP and Susceptibility to Immediate and Delayed Reinforcement, and susceptibility to Anticipated Punishment. METHODOLOGY: The Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS), the Susceptibility to Anticipated Punishment Scale (SAPS), and the Susceptibility to Immediate and Delayed Reinforcement Scale (SIDR) were administered to a sample of 960 university students. RESULTS. The regression model highlighted that the three factors of the two scales were significant and predicted irrational procrastination, explaining 23% of the variance. CONCLUSION. Those factors that clearly allude to susceptibility to delayed reinforcement or anticipated punishment are negatively related to procrastination. On the other hand, when the susceptibility to reinforcement or punishment is short term, the relationship is positive.