Dopaminergic Perfectionism: A Theoretical Model of an Impaired Reward Threshold, Desire for Grand Goals, and the Procrastination Cycle

This registration documents a theoretical construct and stepwise mechanistic model termed dopaminergic perfectionism. The manuscript argues that repeated exposure to high-salience rewards may elevate an individual’s reward threshold, reducing the subjective reinforcing value of small incremental progress (“small steps feel insufficient”), thereby increasing the initiation cost of everyday tasks. The model describes a cycle in which motivation is transiently activated by large, high-meaning goals, becomes fragile under delayed feedback and uncertainty, and collapses sharply (“dip”) after minor delays or imperfections—prompting escape into high-stimulus alternatives that reinforces procrastination. The paper provides testable hypotheses, proposes measurement dimensions (e.g., devaluation of small steps, dip reactivity, escape to high-salience), and discusses intervention implications (stimulus reduction + micro-completion reinforcement).