Procrastination, Deadlines, and Performance: Self-Control by Precommitment

Ariely, D., & Wertenbroch, K. (2002), Psychological Science, 13 (May), 219-224.

Experimental evidence of sophisticates' (as opposed to naifs') insight into, and use of, precommitment strategies (i.e., self-imposed costly deadlines) to address their own procrastination self-control problems.  Also shows performance benefits from self-inducing costly deadlines.