Health behavior procrastination: a novel reasoned route toward self-regulatory failure

Abstract

In this paper, we highlight a novel perspective on health behavior failure by considering reasoned procrastination as a contributing factor. We argue that the failure to enact intentions does not necessarily occur because people are victims of their strong impulses, but that people may also knowingly and willfully postpone their intended actions. While procrastination is acknowledged as a factor associated with intention-behavior gaps in other domains, it has surprisingly received only very little attention in the domain of health behavior. We argue that it is particularly important to recognize the waxing and waning of intentions: rather than being truly abandoned, intentions may sometimes be temporarily put aside. This paper describes how the procrastination account relates to the intention-behavior gap as we know it, what is known about procrastination and health behavior, and what theoretical and practical implications can be derived from the addition of this novel perspective to our understanding of health behavior change.