Schraw, Wadkins, and Olafson in 2007 proposed three criteria for a behavior to be classified as academic procrastination: it must be counterproductive, needless, and delaying.
Nekateri psihologi takšno vedenje opišejo kot mehanizem spoprijemanja z anksioznostjo povezano z začenjanjem ali dokončevanjem katerekoli naloge ali odločitve.