Waiting

Waiting is the act of remaining in a place or delaying action while anticipating a future event, outcome, or decision. It applies to everyday tasks, such as standing in a queue, or to longer delays caused by scheduling, production, or communication failures. Waiting can be experienced subjectively and may involve physical, emotional, and cognitive dimensions.

Psychologically, the duration of a wait is often perceived rather than measured. Factors that influence this experience include predictability, perceived control, engagement, and the meaning ascribed to the wait. Distractions, social interaction, and clear information can shorten or alter perceived waiting time.

Contexts and types include physical waiting in lines or lobby areas, digital waiting during online processes (loading screens, buffering), and anticipatory waiting for future events like appointments, product releases, or decision deadlines. In operations research, the term 'lead time' describes total time from initiation to completion, while 'waiting time' refers to the period before service begins.

Consequences vary: waiting can cause impatience, boredom, stress, or anxiety, but it can also build anticipation or solidarity in some situations. The social and environmental setting of the wait—noise, comfort, access to information—can affect its impact.

Management approaches aim to manage or reduce perceived waiting through queueing systems, appointment scheduling, virtual or numbered queuing, accurate estimates of wait times, and improved service design. Creating comfortable waiting areas and providing engaging or informative content can mitigate negative effects.