An Investigation of the “5-Minute Rule” to Reduce Procrastination

Abstract

The present study examined the efficacy of the commonly recommended self-management strategy called the “5-minute rule.” This is the notion that initially setting a very small goal for working on an assignment when one does not “feel like it” will reduce procrastination. Participants (n=10) were students enrolled in two sections of a social psychology course led by the same instructor and with the same final assignment. The students were divided into two groups based on their respective sections. Following a 2 week baseline period in which both groups were told to simply monitor how much they worked on their assignment, one group (n = 6) received instructions to also schedule their work sessions, while the other group (n = 4) received instructions to also schedule their work sessions plus employ the “5 minute rule” if they did not feel like working at a scheduled time. Following another 3-week period, the initial group also received the 5-minute rule. The hypotheses are that students who utilize the 5-minute rule will have more frequent work sessions, more satisfying work sessions, and spend more total time on the assignment. Implications of the study will be discussed.

Discipline: Psychology

An Investigation of the “5-Minute Rule” to Reduce Procrastination