Alexander Rozental is a licensed psychologist and a PhD student at the department of psychology at Stockholm University. Since his graduation at Linköping University he’s been working in different outpatient psychiatric clinics and as a teacher at Karolinska Institutet. As a part of his research, Alexander Rozental is investigating the efficacy of different psychological treatments for procrastination and whether or not they can be delivered via the Internet. During the spring of 2014 he also released a self-help book on procrastination together with the journalist Lina Wennersten, Dansa på deadline, which is released by the publisher Natur & Kultur.

Procrastination is defined as the voluntary delay of an intended course of action despite being worse off because of the delay. Approximately one-fifth of the general adult population consider themselves as having problems related to procrastination, a number that is assumed to be more than fifty percent among university students. Procrastination can have a negative impact on individual performance in both school and work, and is associated with both poorer mental and physical health. Stress, worry, and feelings of guilt is common among those who procrastinate recurrently and extensively, which, in turn, can lead to both anxiety and a decreased well-being. Procrastination is also related to fewer health-seeking behaviors and increased treatment delay, resulting in greater distress and the exacerbation of illness. Albeit sometimes perceived as a relatively stable personality trait, procrastination can be better understood using theories of motivation, learning, behavioral economics, and cognitive neuroscience. The current seminar aims to provide useful information regarding the latest research on procrastination in order to explain the reasons for engaging in a seemingly irrational behavior, as well as what strategies have been found effective in managing difficulties with getting things done.