This introductory chapter introduces general guidelines for therapeutic intervention derived from procrastination research. It thus sets the stage for the presentation of intervention methods in the chapters to follow. This chapter begins with a definition of procrastination that draws a clear distinction between dilatory behavior and procrastination as a trait. I then move to a causal explanation of procrastination as derived from the research literature, with a specific focus on self-control and self-regulatory failure. With these important issues as a conceptual background, I then discuss the prevalence of procrastination in the academic context, its specificity or lack thereof, and issues of manifestation as related to personality in particular. The chapter ends with a brief outline of promising approaches for intervention. Throughout the discussion, I intend to link this summary of theory and research to the chapters that constitute this book and in doing so set out a conceptual framework for procrastination intervention.(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)