Pre-Crastination & the Rush to Finish

In our fast-paced world, the tendency to pre-crastinate — complete tasks as soon as possible — often leads to increased cognitive load and reduced efficiency.

But why do we do this? Here, I show some of the latest science behind it.

The Science Behind Pre-crastination

Pre-crastination involves a trade-off between reducing cognitive load and the physical effort required. Researchers have found that we often choose to complete tasks quickly, even if it means more overall effort.

For example, a study by Rosenbaum et al. (2019) revealed that people tend to rush through tasks to reduce their mental burden, even if it requires additional physical effort when faced with a choice.

Earlier, Rosenbaum and Santamaria (2014) explored this phenomenon, showing that individuals prefer to get tasks done immediately to alleviate cognitive stress, even at the cost of extra effort. Their research underscores a significant drive towards immediate completion, highlighting the psychological drivers behind pre-crastination.

Weiwei Zhang (2015) also looked into the neurocognitive aspects of decision-making and showed how our minds process tasks and why we rush to finish them. This understanding can help us manage our tasks more effectively and mitigate the cognitive load that drives pre-crastination.

A Brain Mechanism for Pre-Crastination?

Importantly, there seem to be no studies that look at the neural foundation for pre-crastination. Knowing these mechanisms would likely help us better understand the phenomenon and even the drivers of individual differences in this behavior.

If we speculate a little, perhaps a few regions could be more engaged during pre-crastination:

• Amygdala — important in triggering the importance of making a choice (earlier results from my lab)
• Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)—This region might be relevant for evaluating the value of different options, such as whether to do something now vs. later. Studies have shown a gradient in the OFC, where abstract and future values are more anterior, and direct and immediate values are processed more posteriorly in the UFC.
• Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) — possibly involved in the negotiation of the different response options, monitoring and resolving motivational conflict (between the immediate and delayed actions)
• Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (PFC): Studies have long pointed to this region as the “planner and executor” of decisions, including the use and shifting between “cognitive sets.”

These may serve as some ideas for where to look when trying to understand the neural mechanisms of pre-crastination.

Practical Implications

Understanding the implications of pre-crastination is crucial in today’s business and life in general. People are often pressured on budget and time, leading them to make decisions based on gut reactions and autopilot rather than deliberate planning. This shift from conscious to unconscious decision-making suggests that if we want to help people make better decisions, we need to intervene when they make those decisions.

For example, if someone tends to spend too much money on certain items, a timely alert can trigger them to reconsider their actions. Similarly, in marketing, tools that provide immediate feedback can help decision-makers evaluate and respond more effectively.

You can also read my original blog post, Pre-crastination: Cognitive Demand and Decisions.

References

1. Rosenbaum et al. (2019). Study on cognitive demand vs. physical effort.
2. Rosenbaum & Santamaria (2014). Psychological drivers of pre-crastination.
3. Zhang (2015). Neurocognitive aspects of decision-making.

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