Procrastination and Intelligence: Are Procrastinators Smarter?
There is a widespread belief that procrastination is a sign of high intelligence. And many believe that procrastinators tend to be smarter and more creative than their non-procrastinator peers.
Did you know that many famous geniuses in history were notorious procrastinators?
But should you already attribute your tendency to procrastinate to your high intelligence? Is there a link between IQ and procrastination?
I’ll answer this question and more.
Let’s dive in.
There is conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between procrastination and intelligence. One 2016 study found that people with high IQ tend to procrastinate more. However, other studies found very weak or no association between the two.
Also, research shows that people with higher emotional intelligence (EQ) are less likely to procrastinate than those with lower levels.
The true nature of the connection between intelligence and procrastination is still not fully understood. However, it is believed that people with high IQ may have a tendency to delay tasks because they know that they are able to accomplish them later.
However, let’s not jump to conclusions, and before you start considering your chronic procrastination as a trophy and a sign of your talent and genius, you need to understand that this association is a bit more complicated than it seems.
So, let’s investigate this question further.
IQ and Procrastination
As mentioned above, a 2016 study of 117 students found that students who procrastinate tend to score higher on cognitive measures (IQ tests), which shows that they have better cognitive abilities. However, the relationship between the two was not very strong.
Interestingly, the same study also found a strong relationship between intelligence and perfectionism. So, perfectionists tend to have higher cognitive abilities.
This is relatively consistent with the fact that perfectionism can contribute to procrastination.
Check out this article on the link between perfectionism and procrastination.
Another 2016 study analyzing data from 954 twins showed no association between procrastination and IQ in adolescents and young adults. This was consistent with previous studies that showed that procrastination is weakly related to intelligence.
On the other hand, a 2009 study of 135 students found that students with high intrapersonal intelligence are less likely to put off studying for exams than students with low intrapersonal intelligence.
Interpersonal intelligence is a type of intelligence that refers to the ability to interact effectively with others. Sensitivity to people’s emotions, temperaments, and motivations Essentially, it’s being able to understand and relate to those around you.
Other types of intelligence include:
- Spatial intelligence
- Linguistic intelligence,
- Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
- Musical intelligence
- Logical-mathematical intelligence
- Intrapersonal intelligence
- Naturalistic intelligence
Two 2009 and 2021 studies on 530 students confirmed the previous findings that students with high emotional intelligence are less likely to be procrastinators.
Interpersonal intelligence is closely related to emotional intelligence.
However, a 2013 study of 102 female students found no connection between emotional intelligence and procrastination. This contradicts the findings of the previous studies.
So, where do you go from here?
First, you need to understand that these studies have many limitations. Most of them were done on students, and it is questionable whether the results can be generalized to other categories.
Furthermore, it is unclear whether these studies distinguished between passive (regular) procrastination and active procrastination, as the latter is not considered procrastination by some researchers and is simply a form of purposeful delay. In fact, some studies have linked active procrastination with higher academic performance, as opposed to passive procrastination.
In addition, some of these studies were contradictory and found conflicting findings, which means no definitive conclusion can be drawn so far. This may be due to the relatively small sample size that was used.
More on Active Procrastination here.
Why Do Smart People Procrastinate?
There is no definitive answer, but some hypotheses were proposed:
- Smart people tend to take time to think and plan tasks beforehand, incorporating new information in order to find the best path to perform tasks.
- Smart people have confidence in their ability to accomplish things quickly, so they don’t see the need to rush things.
- Intelligent people also tend to be detail-oriented and perfectionists, which is a trait that is linked to procrastination.
- Smart people may choose to work on more meaningful tasks, thus neglecting less important ones.
Why do people with high emotional intelligence procrastinate less?
People with higher emotional intelligence may be better at dealing with their emotions and regulating them because they tend to have better grasp on their internal dialogue.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is an indicator of how well one manages their own feelings, thoughts, and actions. On the other hand, procrastination is usually thought of as a failure to manage one’s emotions and actions.
So, people with high EQ may have better self-control and are more successful at managing their emotions and internal dialogue.
Effects of Procrastination on Academic Performance
Many studies show that students who procrastinate tend to have lower grades and overall perform poorly academically.
Researchers found that procrastination hurts the student’s ability to learn and succeed, often leading to lower grades and a higher rate of dropping out.
That is because students who frequently delayed projects and schoolwork had poor quality work and diminished accuracy and punctuality.
The largest meta-analysis on the effects of procrastination on students focused on 33 studies involving a total of 38,529 participants, and confirmed that procrastination was negatively correlated with academic performance.
For more information, check out this article explaining why students procrastinate.
The Interesting Link Between Intelligence, Self-Control, and Academic Performance
Many studies have investigated the effects of intelligence and self-control on academic performance. They attempted to answer the question of whether intelligence or self-control have the strongest effect on academic achievement.
1. Intelligence and Academic Performance
Cognitive ability is one of the most researched and stable ways to predict how well a student will do in school.
Several studies have found that intelligence is related to academic performance and overall school achievement. This association was even stronger among children.
Research indicates that the smarter a student is, the faster and more accurately they can pay attention to important information, store it in their memories, and use it in their work. This means they do better in school.
However, other research showed that high intelligence can be a predictor of academic success, but other factors, such as some personality traits, play a more important role.
2. The Influence of Self Control on Academic Performance
Self-control is a person’s ability to consciously manage their own thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Self-control can be regarded as an important factor explaining the tendency to procrastinate. Low self-control is usually associated with procrastination and the tendency towards compulsive behaviors, like binge eating or compulsive internet use.
Studies conducted by Dai (2013), Zhao (2017) and Wang (2003), respectively, on primary, secondary, and high school students, all found that self-control is strongly associated with academic performance.
This fits well with research that has linked procrastination, which is one sign of low self-control, to poor academic performance.
In terms of whether intelligence or self-control has a greater influence on academic achievement, a 2022 study discovered that, while both intelligence and self-control predicted academic performance, intelligence had a significantly stronger effect on academic competence than self-control.
How to Test Your General Intelligence (IQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) ?
You may be curious about your levels of General Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. Let’s find out how you can assess yourself.
1. General Intelligence (IQ): Are Online IQ Tests Accurate?
Generally speaking, a valid IQ tests should be administered by a mental health professional, adhering to strict guidelines for the results to be deemed reliable.
Tests available online vary in terms of quality and reliability, and are usually taken for fun.
That being said, can try the preliminary test of Mensa IQ society, which gives a fairly reliable indication of your general cognitive abilities.
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world.
2. How to Test Your Emotional Intelligence?
Tests of emotional intelligence (EI) or emotional quotient (EQ) assess a person’s awareness of self and others, and their capacity to incorporate this knowledge into their lives.
Many assessment tools are available, such as the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 (EQ-i-2.0) and the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT).
The Schutte test was developed by Nicola Schutte and is currently regarded as one of the most reliable assessment tools of emotional intelligence.
Take our Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT).
Takeaways
- People with high intelligence and overall cognitive abilities tend to procrastinate more, although some studies found weak or no connection between the two.
- Many studies have found that people with high emotional intelligence (EQ) procrastinate less than those with low EQ. This may be due to the fact that emotionally intelligent people are better able to manage their emotions and show better self-control.
- Procrastination has been shown to negatively affect academic success.
- Self-control and intelligence are both linked to better academic performance. However, studies show that the influence of IQ on academic performance is stronger than that of self-control.
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