Scientists have recently discovered that lateness could very well be attributable as an inconvenient side effect of our personality traits. From constantly missing buses and trains, joining conference calls late, to regularly pissing their friends off, it could be difficult for some people to stop being late no matter how hard they try.
Depending on the situation and context, different kinds of punishments exist for lateness, and the paradox is that late-comers will still show up late even when those punishments and consequences exist.
One of the most obvious reasons that people are frequently late is that they fail to accurately judge how long a task will take: something known as the planning fallacy. Research has shown that people on average underestimate how long a task will take to complete by a significant 40 percent.
Another trait, which could very well be linked to the first, is that forever-late-comers are more likely to be multitaskers. In a 2003 study run by Jeff Conte from San Diego State University, out of 181 subway operators in New York City, those who preferred multitasking were more often late to their job. This is because multitasking makes it harder to have metacognition, or awareness of what you’re doing.
In a 2001 paper published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Conte discovered that there’s also a personality type that’s more likely to be late. Highly-strung, achievement-oriented Type A individuals are more likely to be punctual, while laid-back Type B individuals are more likely to be late.
In fact, Type A and Type B people actually feel time pass differently. Over three previous studies Conte found that for Type A individuals, a minute passed in 58 seconds, whereas Type B individuals felt a minute pass in a leisurely 77 seconds. This difference in perception definitely adds up over a period of time.
In order to improve punctuality among the affected population, scientists have suggested strategies that can bring about gradual changes.
For people who constantly underestimate a task, breaking it down into very detailed steps can help them to more accurately estimate how long it will take. A 2012 study also found that asking people to mentally picture a task before they do it can help them be more realistic about its duration.
Late-comers also need to realise that they can’t be in two places at once, and try to plan fewer things, further apart.
When it comes to your personality type, unfortunately, there’s not too much you can do to change that. But accepting that you need to overcompensate for it in other areas may just help.
Scientists Uncover the Reason Behind Chronic Lateness
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