The early bird catches the worm, but falls exhausted from the branch at dusk: developing the FIPS – Facets of (Mal)adaptive precrastination scale

Abstract The tendency to postpone tasks until the very last minute, whether in an academic setting, at school, or at the workplace, is a many common phenomenon experienced by individuals. This behavior, known as procrastination, has been extensively researched. While a significant number of people prefer to tackle tasks immediately rather than delaying them, there is limited research on the opposite behavior, often referred to as “precrastination.” This study aims at addressing this lack of research by developing the first measurement tool to make the construct of precrastination researchable. The questionnaire is named Facets of (Mal)adaptive Precrastination Scale (FIPS). To accomplish this, a sample of N = 214 German young to middle-aged adults was selected for the initial development of the instrument. Subsequently, another sample of N = 354 individuals was used for confirmatory factor analyses. The FIPS was validated by testing relationships with previously researched and well-known constructs, such as various personality traits. The outcome of this study is a three-dimensional questionnaire measuring functional precrastination, as well as precrastination driven by fear and by compulsion. By capturing both the behavior and its underlying motivations, the FIPS provides a reliable and efficient self-report instrument that enables research beyond laboratory paradigms and facilitates studies with larger and more diverse samples.