“Coping with Procrastination,” by Roberta Moore, Barbara Baker, and Arnold H. Packer appears to be a process essay, when in all reality, it is truly a cause-effect essay. The authors develop the causes by listing the main causes of procrastination in their topic sentences: “a real or imagined fear...
[of a] potential consequence” (par. 3); “being a perfectionist” (par. 4); “lack of motivation” (par. 5); and “inability to concentrate or a feeling of being overwhelmed or indecisive” (par. 6).
Within each of the main body paragraphs, the authors list effects of each of these causes or even in some cases the causes of the causes, making the paper both cause and effect oriented. By providing reasons for the initial procrastination and effects of each, the authors can also offer advice and a better understanding of why people procrastinate, which in turn contributes to their initial thesis “When procrastination becomes extreme, it is a self-destructive course and yet, people feel that they are powerless to stop it. This perception can become reality if the underlying cause is not uncovered” (par. 2).
