Tuckman Procrastination Scale

What it measures

A widely used 16-item measure of general behavioural procrastination, validated in multiple samples of students (n=255) and general populations. Alpha consistently 0.86–0.90; one-week test-retest reliability r=0.82. Items tap delay in starting tasks, delay in completing tasks, avoidance of unpleasant activities, susceptibility to distraction, and delay in decision-making. Convergent validity established against prior procrastination instruments and academic performance (r=-0.46). Higher summed scores indicate greater procrastination tendency. The TPS is used in consumer research as a measure of purchase delay and decision avoidance, in health behaviour research to predict non-adherence and appointment-skipping, and in financial research to predict savings and planning avoidance. Procrastinators show higher rates of impulsive purchases (they buy impulsively rather than planning and following through on delayed, considered choices), lower compliance with commitment devices, and greater sensitivity to immediate over delayed rewards. Steel's (2007) meta-analysis found procrastination most strongly predicted by low self-efficacy, high task aversiveness, high impulsiveness, and low future orientation. The TPS is concurrently validated against the Academic Procrastination Scale (Lay, 1986, id:269) and is appropriate for use across academic, consumer, health, and financial behavioural contexts.

Response format

4-point scale (1=that's not me for sure to 4=that's me for sure); items 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are reverse-scored; items summed (range 16–64)

Scale items

• I needlessly delay finishing jobs, even when they're important.
• I postpone starting things I don't like to do.
• When I have a deadline, I wait until the last minute.
• I put off things I dislike doing.
• I manage to find an excuse for not doing something.
• I put the necessary time into even boring tasks. (R)
• I delay making hard decisions.
• I get right to work, even on life's unpleasant chores. (R)
• Putting something off until tomorrow is not the way I do things. (R)
• I am prompt and punctual in meeting deadlines. (R)
• I get everything done on time. (R)
• I find new ways to avoid doing what I should be doing.
• I keep saying I'll do it tomorrow.
• Only when something is enjoyable do I do it right away.
• I waste time by doing unimportant things when I have important ones to do.
• I believe in putting off today what can wait until tomorrow.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Items 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 are reverse-scored before summing. Score range 16–64; higher = greater procrastination. The TPS uses a 4-point response format anchored by 'that's not me for sure' and 'that's me for sure' — this phrasing is experientially close and reduces social desirability effects. Distinguish general procrastination (TPS) from academic procrastination (Lay's GPS, id:269) — while correlated, the TPS is domain-general whereas the GPS was validated primarily in academic contexts. Procrastination is distinct from strategic delay (intentional postponement with a clear plan) — the key marker of procrastination is the intention–action gap combined with negative affect about the delay. The Pure Procrastination Scale (Steel, 2010, id:500) provides a psychometrically superior IRT-developed alternative. The Aitken (1982) Procrastination Inventory is an earlier precursor.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Tuckman, B.W. (1991). The development and concurrent validity of the procrastination scale. Psychological Reports, 68(2), 464–466.

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