Procrastination as a Self-Regulation Failure: The Role of Impulsivity and Intrusive Thoughts

Clinical nurses' work procrastination and smartphone addiction: a potential profile study

Background

In the medical field, effective time management by clinical nurses is crucial for enhancing the quality of patient care. However, in recent years, with increasing work pressure for clinical nurses, procrastination has become a prevalent issue. Many nurses use smartphones as a way to alleviate stress and manage emotions, but excessive smartphone use could exacerbate procrastination, thereby jeopardizing patient safety and healthcare quality. Therefore, understanding the current state of work procrastination among clinical nurses, its heterogeneity, and exploring the impact of smartphone addiction and demographic factors on different aspects of nurse procrastination hold significant importance for improving patient care quality.

Objective

This study aims to explore the current state of work procrastination among clinical nurses and identify potential profile categories. It further analyzes the impact of mobile phone addiction and demographic factors on work procrastination among clinical nurses.

Methods

Convenience sampling was employed to recruit participants from three tertiary hospitals in central China from October to November 2023. Surveys measuring nurses' work procrastination and smartphone addiction were distributed and collected through online platforms. A total of 1,536 nurses participated in this study. Mplus 8.3 statistical software was used for latent profile analysis of clinical nurses' work procrastination, and SPSS 26.0 software was utilized for chi-square tests, rank-sum tests, and multi-classification logistic regression analyses.

Results

The median total score for clinical nurses' work procrastination was 21.00 (17.00, 28.00), and three subgroups were identified: low procrastination (66.93%), medium-low procrastination (20.66%), and medium-high procrastination (12.41%). Additionally, logistic regression analysis revealed that smartphone addiction and department atmosphere were common influencing factors for medium-low and medium-high work procrastination. Hospitals with stricter management and nurses holding the position of head nurse were more likely to belong to the low work procrastination group. Nurses with higher incomes or those holding intermediate titles were more prone to medium-low work procrastination, while those experiencing career advancement difficulties were more likely to exhibit medium-high work procrastination (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Clinical nurses' work procrastination is generally at a medium-to-low level, with three subgroups identified: low procrastination, medium-low procrastination, and medium-high procrastination. Additionally, clinical nurses in surgical departments or those with intermediate titles exhibit higher levels of procrastination. Factors such as smartphone addiction, higher monthly income, tense departmental atmosphere, and unsuccessful career advancement are more likely to lead to work procrastination. Conversely, nurses in hospitals with strict management or those holding the position of head nurse exhibit lower levels of work procrastination. Therefore, nursing managers should pay close attention to the work procrastination behaviors of clinical nurses, actively monitor predictive factors among different groups, and provide psychological counseling and relevant training based on individual nurse circumstances. Additionally, it is also essential to focus on and improve departmental atmosphere and nurse smartphone addiction to enhance clinical nurses' work efficiency and reduce work procrastination.

Gender Differences in Procrastination and Subjective Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Students and Non-Students

This study aims to examine gender differences in the relationship between procrastination and subjective well-being in a sample of 1052 individuals. Including both students and non-students. The participants, 56.7% were women (Mean = 24.83, Standard Deviation = 6.01, range = 18-56) and 43.3% were men (Mean = 25.01, Standard Deviation = 6.91, range = 18-59), completed assessments covering procrastination, positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and structural equation modeling. The current findings suggest that men, compared with women, reported higher levels of procrastination, positive affect, and subjective well-being and lower levels of negative affect. The results suggest that procrastination has a greater impact on the subjective well-being of men, especially among non-student males. These findings contribute to the understanding of gender differences in the relationship between procrastination and subjective well-being, emphasizing the need for further research.

The vmPFC-IPL functional connectivity as the neural basis of future self-continuity impacted procrastination: the mediating role of anticipated positive outcomes

Procrastination is universally acknowledged as a problematic behavior with wide-ranging consequences impacting various facets of individuals' lives, including academic achievement, social accomplishments, and mental health. Although previous research has indicated that future self-continuity is robustly negatively correlated with procrastination, it remains unknown about the neural mechanisms underlying the impact of future self-continuity on procrastination. To address this issue, we employed a free construction approach to collect individuals' episodic future thinking (EFT) thoughts regarding specific procrastination tasks. Next, we conducted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis to explore the neural substrates underlying future self-continuity. Behavior results revealed that future self-continuity was significantly negatively correlated with procrastination, and positively correlated with anticipated positive outcome. The VBM analysis showed a positive association between future self-continuity and gray matter volumes in the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Furthermore, the RSFC results indicated that the functional connectivity between the right vmPFC and the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) was positively correlated with future self-continuity. More importantly, the mediation analysis demonstrated that anticipated positive outcome can completely mediate the relationship between the vmPFC-IPL functional connectivity and procrastination. These findings suggested that vmPFC-IPL functional connectivity might prompt anticipated positive outcome about the task and thereby reduce procrastination, which provides a new perspective to understand the relationship between future self-continuity and procrastination.

Emotional dysregulation predicts problematic gaming in children and youths: a cross-sectional and longitudinal approach

Adolescents show a high vulnerability for addictive gaming patterns on the one hand and immature emotion regulation (ER) abilities as a risk factor for mental disorders on the other hand. We investigated the predictive value of ER difficulties on problematic gaming (PG) considering age groups (children vs. youths) and gender cross-sectionally and prospectively in a representative sample of German adolescents via online survey with two measurement points 14 months apart. General Poisson, logistic, and multinomial regression models were estimated to predict gaming patterns by ER difficulties controlling for age group and gender. Results revealed ER difficulties to be significantly associated with PG. Moreover, subgroup analyses indicated differing ER patterns for children vs. youths and boys vs. girls: for children, higher PG values were associated with emotional awareness and emotional clarity whereas for youths it was the acceptance of emotional responses. Moreover, gender differences implicated that boys with PG had more deficits in goal-oriented behavior as well as emotional awareness while affected girls were lacking emotional clarity and had problems with the acceptance of their emotional responses. Interestingly, procrastination was a significant predictor for PG irrespective of subgroups. Furthermore, longitudinal analyses indicated that difficulties in ER promoted PG while stronger procrastination tendencies maintained it. With the inclusion of procrastination, which can be understood as a maladaptive ER strategy, a broader picture of ER difficulties as a risk factor for PG could be drawn. The findings support a better understanding of PG etiology and the development of targeted prevention and intervention measures.

The effect of short-form video addiction on undergraduates' academic procrastination: a moderated mediation model

Background

Short-form videos have become one of the most popular ways for people to entertain and relax. However, the intense interest in short-form videos has given rise to short-video addiction, which poses risks to both physical and mental health of individuals. Undergraduates are one of the important users for short-form videos, and the influence of short-form video addiction calls for more attention. This study aimed to investigate the association between short-form video addiction and academic procrastination among undergraduates, exploring the role of executive functions (i.e., attentional control) and personality traits (i.e., boredom proneness) in the association.

Methods

Using stratified random cluster sampling method, the data of 1,047 college students were used in the study. All variables were measured by empirical instruments, and all instruments were highly reliable. Mediation and moderation analysis was conducted using Model 4 and 7 in PROCESS macro powered by SPSS.

Results

Results revealed that short-form video addiction not only directly impacted academic procrastination but also placed indirect effect on academic procrastination through attentional control. Furthermore, the mediating effect of attentional control was contingent upon individuals' boredom proneness. Higher levels of boredom proneness weakened the impact of short-form video addiction on attentional control.

Conclusion

The findings expand our knowledge of the negative effects of short-form video addiction and the underlying mechanisms, providing implications for mitigating undergraduates' academic procrastination.

Association between impulsivity and cognitive capacity decrease is mediated by smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and daytime fatigue among medical students: a path analysis

BACKGROUND

Medical students are at high risk for sleep disturbance. One possible cause of their sleeping problem is impulsivity. We aim to investigate the possible mediators between medical students' impulsivity and sleep outcomes. Thus, we developed and investigated a model where the predictors were attentional, non-planning, and motor impulsivity subtraits. In the final model, subjective cognitive capacity decrease was the outcome variable. In light of previous findings, academic procrastination, smartphone addiction, and bedtime procrastination were considered important mediators as well as two variables of poor sleep, sleeping insufficiency, and daytime fatigue.

METHODS

Medical students (N = 211; age_M = 22.15 years; age_SD = 3.47 years; 71.6% women) were recruited to complete an online survey comprised of demographics (age, gender), self-administered scales (Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale, Bedtime Procrastination Scale, Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale, Academic Procrastination Scale-Short Form) and questions on tiredness, daily fatigue and subjective cognitive capacity decrease. Correlation and path analyses were implemented to examine hypothesized relationships between the variables.

RESULTS

Both attentional impulsivity (β = 0.33, p < .001) and non-planning impulsivity (β = -0.19, p < .01) had a direct relationship with cognitive capacity decrease. Attentional impulsivity was also associated with decreased cognitive capacity with a serial mediation effect via smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and fatigue (estimate = 0.017, p < .01). The indirect link between non-planning impulsivity and cognitive capacity decrease was mediated by academic procrastination, bedtime procrastination, sleep insufficiency and fatigue (estimate = 0.011, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Inability to stay focused and plan tasks effectively (directly and indirectly) predicts poor sleep outcomes. This relationship is mediated by excessive smartphone use, academic procrastination, and bedtime procrastination. Our findings are relevant in light of self-regulatory learning, which is crucial in medical education. This is a recursive cycle of planning, emotion regulation, proper strategy selection and self-monitoring. Future interventions addressing attentional and non-planning impulsivity, problematic smartphone use, academic procrastination, and in turn, bedtime procrastination might make this routine more effective. In the conclusion section, practical implications of the results are discussed.

Unveiling common psychological characteristics of proneness to aggression and general psychopathology in a large community youth cohort

Elevated aggression in individuals with psychiatric disorders is frequently reported yet aggressive acts among people with mental illness are often intertwined with proneness to aggression and other risk factors. Evidence has suggested that both general psychopathology and proneness to aggression may share common psychological characteristics. This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between general psychopathology, proneness to aggression, and their contributing factors in community youth. Here, we first examined the association between proneness to aggression and the level of general psychopathology in 2184 community youths (male: 41.2%). To identify common characteristics, we trained machine learning models using LASSO based on 230 features covering sociodemographic, cognitive functions, lifestyle, well-being, and psychological characteristics to predict levels of general psychopathology and proneness to aggression. A subsequent Gaussian Graph Model (GGM) was fitted to understand the relationships between the general psychopathology, proneness to aggression, and selected features. We showed that proneness to aggression was associated with a higher level of general psychopathology (discovery: r = 0.56, 95% CI: [0.52-0.59]; holdout: r = 0.60, 95% CI: [0.54-0.65]). The LASSO model trained on the discovery dataset for general psychopathology was able to predict proneness to aggression in the holdout dataset with a moderate correlation coefficient of 0.606. Similarly, the model trained on the proneness to aggression in the discovery dataset was able to predict general psychopathology in the holdout dataset with a correlation coefficient of 0.717. These results suggest that there is substantial shared information between the two outcomes. The GGM model revealed that isolation and impulsivity factors were directly associated with both general psychopathology and proneness to aggression. These results revealed shared psychological characteristics of general psychopathology and proneness to aggression in a community sample of youths.

Development and psychometric evaluation of nurses' health-related procrastination scale

There is no valid scale to measure health related procrastination, especially in nurses. This study was conducted to design and assess the psychometric properties of the health-related procrastination scale in nurses. This exploratory mixed method study was conducted between April 2017 and May 2019. The design and psychometric assessment of the nurses' health-related procrastination scale (NHRPS) was carried out through quantitative and qualitative phases. In the qualitative phase, nurses were interviewed and a review of literature was carried out to generate the items. In the quantitative phase, the scale validity was evaluated using the face, content and construct validity and its reliability was evaluated through the Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, intra-class correlation coefficient, standard error of measurement, minimal detectable changes. The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that, with 29 items and five factors, the NHRPS explains 54.81% of the variance in NHRPS. The results of confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed the final fit of model with five factors (RAMSEA: 0.08, CMIN/DF: 2.42, NFI: 0.92, PNFI: 0.83, CFI: 0.95, IFI: 0.95, RFI: 0.91, SRMR: 0.074). The Cronbach's alpha of the scale was 0.947, its intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.944, the Half-fold consistency coefficient was 0.970 and Omega internal consistency coefficient was 0.96. The NHRPS has good psychometric properties. This scale is suitable for research purposes, especially to plan for nurses' health promotion.

Trajectories and influencing factors in adolescent procrastination behavior throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: a four-wave prospective longitudinal study

Background

Despite the growing attention given to adolescent behavior problems, little is known about the trajectories and factors that have influenced adolescent procrastination during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study monitors changes in procrastination behavior among Chinese adolescents during the pandemic and identifies vulnerable groups.

Methods

A four-wave study using a representative sample of 11-to 18-year-olds in China was conducted, with baseline data collected in June 2020 (n = 4,156; 49% girls) and follow-ups in December 2020 (n = 3,392; 50% girls), August 2021 (n = 2,380; 48% girls), and October 2021 (n = 1,485; 49% girls). Procrastination behavior was assessed using the General Procrastination Scale. Latent growth curve models, latent growth mixture modes, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to describe the trajectory of procrastination and identify predictors of deterioration.

Results

The proportion and overall trends of adolescent procrastination increased with the pandemic. Higher parental over-protection was a contributing factor to the higher baseline levels leading to the faster growth of adolescent procrastination. The model identified three distinct trajectories of low-increasing [including 2,057 participants (49.5%)], moderate-stable [including 1,879 participants (45.2%)], and high-decreasing procrastination [including 220 participants (5.3%)]. More daily leisure screen-time, lower frequency of exercise weekly, and dissatisfaction with distance learning were the top three risk factors for moderate-stable and high-decreasing procrastination compared to low-increasing procrastination. Adolescents with mothers with a higher level of education were more liable to be high-decreasing procrastination than moderate-stable procrastination.

Conclusion

The proportion and overall trends of adolescent procrastination increased with the pandemic. The categories of procrastination among adolescents during that time period were probed. Also, the study further clarified the risk factors for severe and moderate procrastination relative to no procrastination. Thus, effective procrastination prevention and intervention strategies need to be implemented to support adolescents, particularly those at risk.

Problematic Internet Use among Adults: A Cross-Cultural Study in 15 Countries

BACKGROUND

The present study compared adult usage patterns of online activities, the frequency rate of problematic internet use (PIU), and risk factors (including the psychopathology associated with PIU, i.e., distress and impulsivity) among adults in 15 countries from Europe, America, and Asia.

METHODS

A total of 5130 adults from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, UK, Norway, Peru, Canada, US, and Indonesia completed an online survey assessing PIU and a number of psychological variables (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, and impulsivity). The sample included more females, with a mean age of 24.71 years (SD = 8.70).

RESULTS

PIU was slightly lower in European countries (rates ranged from 1.1% in Finland to 10.1% in the UK, compared to 2.9% in Canada and 10.4% in the US). There were differences in specific PIU rates (e.g., problematic gaming ranged from 0.4% in Poland to 4.7% in Indonesia). Regression analyses showed that PIU was predicted by problematic social networking and gaming, lack of perseverance, positive urgency, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences in PIU between countries were significant for those between continental regions (Europe versus non-European countries). One of the most interesting findings is that the specific PIU risks were generally low compared to contemporary literature. However, higher levels of PIU were present in countries outside of Europe, although intra-European differences existed.

The functional connectivity between left insula and left medial superior frontal gyrus underlying the relationship between rumination and procrastination

Procrastination is regarded as a prevalent problematic behavior that impairs people's physical and mental health. Although previous studies have indicated that trait rumination is robustly positively correlated with procrastination, it remains unknown about the neural substrates underlying the relationship between trait rumination and procrastination. To address this issue, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) approaches to explore the neural basis of the relationship between trait rumination and procrastination. Our behavior results found that trait rumination was significantly positively correlated to procrastination, while the VBM analysis showed that trait rumination was negatively correlated with gray matter volume of the insula. Furthermore, the RSFC results revealed a negative association of the left insula-lmSFG (left medial superior frontal gyrus) functional connectivity with trait rumination. More importantly, the mediation analysis showed that trait rumination could completely mediate the relationship between left insula-lmSFG functional connectivity and procrastination. These results suggest that the left insula-lmSFG functional connectivity involved in emotion regulation modulates the association between trait rumination and procrastination, which provides neural evidence for the relationship between trait rumination and procrastination.

Assessment of procrastination in providing nursing care among Iranian nursing staff

AIM

This study aimed to investigate procrastination in nursing care providing.

DESIGN

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 125 nurses in ICUs, PICUs, NICUs, and surgery wards, who were selected by census sampling in Iran.

METHODS

The data were collected using the Procrastination Scale, which consisted of 25 items relating to 3 factors. Data were analyzed using statistics, Chi-square, Friedman test, analysis of variance, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests.

RESULTS

Overall, 37% of the participants showed very high or high procrastination. Most of the procrastination was observed in the "Task aversion" (44.2%). ANOVA indicated that the mean total procrastination score had a significant relationship with age (p = 0.013), work experience (p = 0.006), and marital status (p = 0.02). Nurses with permanent employment (p = 0.014) and lower education (p = 0.009) and women (p = 0.023) were much more likely to procrastinate the provision of care.

CONCLUSION

It is recommended to adopt appropriate management strategies and take adequate measures to reduce procrastination, considering the existence of procrastination among nurses and its adverse impact on the quality of care.

Hybrid brain model accurately predict human procrastination behavior

Procrastination behavior is quite ubiquitous, and should warrant cautions to us owing to its significant influences in poor mental health, low subjective well-beings and bad academic performance. However, how to identify this behavioral problem have not yet to be fully elucidated. 1132 participants were recruited as distribution of benchmark. 81 high trait procrastinators (HP) and matched low trait procrastinators (LP) were screened. To address this issue, we have built upon the hybrid brain model by using hierarchical machine learning techniques to classify HP and LP with multi-modalities neuroimaging data (i.e., grey matter volume, fractional anisotropy, static/dynamic amplitude of low frequency fluctuation and static/dynamic degree centrality). Further, we capitalized on the multiple Canonical Correlation Analysis (mCCA) and joint Independent Component Analysis algorithm (mCCA + jICA) to clarify its fusion neural components as well. The hybrid brain model showed high accuracy to discriminate HP and LP (accuracy rate = 87.04%, sensitivity rate = 86.42%, specificity rate = 85.19%). Moreover, results of mCCA + jICA model revealed several joint-discriminative neural independent components (ICs) of this classification, showing wider co-variants of frontoparietal cortex and hippocampus networks. In addition, this study demonstrated three modal-specific discriminative ICs for classification, highlighting the temporal variants of brain local and global natures in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and PHC in HP. To sum-up, this research developed a hybrid brain model to identify trait procrastination with high accuracy, and further revealed the neural hallmarks of this trait by integrating neuroimaging fusion data.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-021-09765-z.

The moderating role of sex in the relationship between executive functions and academic procrastination in undergraduate students

The objective of the study was to determine if sex plays a moderating role in the relationship between executive functions and academic procrastination in 106 university students of both genders (28.3% male and 71.7% female) between the ages of 18 and 30 years (M = 19.7; SD = 2.7). The Academic Procrastination Scale and the Neuropsychological Battery of Executive Functions and Frontal Lobes (BANFE-2) were used to measure the variables. The results of the study showed that the degree of prediction of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex (involves the orbitofrontal cortex [OFC] and the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC]) on academic procrastination is significantly moderated by the sex of the university students (β₃ = 0.53; p < 0.01). For men, the estimated effect of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex on the degree of academic procrastination is −0.81. For women, the estimated effect of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex on the degree of academic procrastination is −0.28. In addition, it was shown that sex does not play a moderating role in the relationship between the tasks linked to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and academic procrastination (β₃ = 0.12; p > 0.05). It was also determined that sex does not play a moderating role in the relationship between the tasks linked to the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC) and academic procrastination (β₃ = 0.05; p > 0.05). It is concluded that only the executive functions associated with the orbitomedial cortex are moderated by the sex of the university students, where the impact of the tasks linked to the orbitomedial cortex on academic procrastination in men is significantly greater than in women.

Emotion-related impulsivity and rumination: Unique and conjoint effects on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury across two samples

INTRODUCTION

Rumination and emotion-related impulsivity predict suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Because rumination and emotion-related impulsivity, though, are highly correlated, we consider their unique vs. conjoint influence on suicidal ideation and self-harm.

METHOD

Across two samples of adults (N's = 171 and 191), we examined how rumination and emotion-related impulsivity relate to suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI. We assess the more general process of repetitive negative thinking and the more specific process of suicide-related rumination. Participants completed the Three-Factor Impulsivity Index and the self-report Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Those in sample 1 completed the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire and the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, and those in Sample 2 completed the Suicide Rumination Scale.

RESULTS

Emotion-related impulsivity and both forms of rumination showed robust bivariate correlations with suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and NSSI. Neither rumination or impulsivity related to suicide attempts controlling for ideation or to NSSI. In multivariable analyses, emotion-related impulsivity but not general rumination was tied to suicidal ideation. In contrast, suicide-related rumination was more directly tied to suicidal ideation than was impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide support for a more nuanced approach to the forms of impulsivity and rumination related to suicidal ideation.

I’ll Do It – After One More Scroll: The Effects of Boredom Proneness, Self-Control, and Impulsivity on Online Procrastination

Procrastination is a common phenomenon. With the increasing ubiquity of new media, research has started to investigate the ways in which these technologies are used as alternatives to task engagement. This paper extends the literature by examining procrastinatory uses of social media, instant messaging, and online shopping with respect to boredom proneness, self-control, and impulsivity among German and Turkish samples. Regression analyses revealed that boredom proneness, self-control, and the perseverance facet of impulsivity are especially significant predictors of online procrastination in both samples. The results between the two studies differ in terms of impulsivity. The findings of this paper highlight the thus far understudied role of boredom proneness and various aspects of impulsivity in online procrastination, and demonstrate that social media procrastination, instant messaging procrastination, and shopping procrastination tendencies likely have distinct underlying mechanisms.

Decreased preparatory activation and inattention to cues suggest lower activation of proactive cognitive control among high procrastinating students

Procrastination is a voluntary delay in completing an important task while being aware that this behavior may lead to negative outcomes. It has been shown that an increased tendency to procrastinate is associated with deficits in some aspects of cognitive control. However, none of the previous studies investigated these dysfunctions through the lenses of the Dual Mechanisms Framework, which differentiates proactive and reactive modes of control. The present study was designed to fill this gap, using behavioral and neurophysiological assessment during the completion of the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) by high (HP) and low (LP) procrastinating students (N = 139). Behavioral results indicated that HP (vs. LP) were characterized by increased attentional fluctuations (higher reaction time variability) and reduction in some indices of proactive cognitive control (lower d'-context and A-cue bias, but similar PBIs). Furthermore, the neurophysiological data showed that HP, compared with LP, allocated less attentional resources (lower P3b) to cues that help to predict the correct responses to upcoming probes. They also responded with reduced preparatory activity (smaller CNV) after cues presentation. The two groups did not differ in neural responses linked to conflict detection and inhibition (similar N2 and P3a). Obtained findings indicate that HP might present deficits in some cognitive functions that are essential for effective proactive control engagement, along with preserved levels of reactive cognitive control. In the present paper, we discuss the potential neural and cognitive mechanisms responsible for the observed effects.

Social factors of procrastination: group work can reduce procrastination among students

Research on procrastination covers a variety of individual factors (e.g., conscientiousness) and this focus is reflected in interventions against procrastination. Less emphasis is put on situational and social factors that may help students reduce procrastination, such as social interdependence. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between interdependence with academic procrastination and affective variables. Two vignette studies with student samples (N1 = 320, N2 = 193) were conducted and data was analyzed with regression analyses and analyses of covariance. Results of both studies show lower state procrastination in group work with interdependence compared to individual work, especially in participants with high trait procrastination. This difference is more pronounced when interdependence is accompanied by an active commitment to finish the task on time. Further, interdependent group work is related to increased positive affect and decreased negative affect. The results demonstrate the relevance of situational and social factors for academic procrastination, and point toward new approaches for intervention.

Structural Relationship among Mobile Phone Dependence, Self-Efficacy, Time Management Disposition, and Academic Procrastination in College Students

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate the relationship among mobile phone dependence, self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, time management disposition, and academic procrastination in Chinese students majoring in physical education. In addition, we explored the mediating roles of self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and time management disposition in the relationship between mobile phone dependence and academic procrastination.

METHODS

We adopted a random sampling method to identify 324 physical education majors at five universities in Shaanxi Province, China in 2020. Data were analyzed via exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation model analysis, and path analysis.

RESULTS

Mobile phone dependence had significant positive effects on academic procrastination (P<0.001) and self-efficacy for self-regulated learning (P<0.05) but a significant negative effect on time management disposition (P<0.001). Self-efficacy for self-regulated learning had a significant positive effect on academic procrastination (P<0.001), while time management disposition had a significant negative effect on academic procrastination (P<0.01). Notably, self-efficacy for self-regulated learning and time management disposition mediated the relationship between mobile phone dependence and academic procrastination (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

In addition to its direct effect on academic procrastination, mobile phone dependence exerts an indirect effect via time management disposition and self-regulated learning efficacy. Reducing students' dependence on mobile phones is necessary for attenuating academic procrastination on university campuses. Thus, universities should aim to restrict the use of mobile phones in the classroom, actively cultivate students' confidence in their self-regulated learning ability, and educate them regarding appropriate time values.

Mediating effects of rumination and bedtime procrastination on the relationship between Internet addiction and poor sleep quality

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Numerous studies have shown that people who have Internet addiction (IA) are more likely to experience poor sleep quality than people who do not. However, few studies have explored mechanisms underlying the relation between IA and poor sleep quality. As a first attempt to address this knowledge gap, a cross-sectional design was applied, and structural equation modeling was used to explore the direct relationship between IA and poor sleep quality, as well as the potential mediating roles of rumination and bedtime procrastination.

METHODS

A convenience sample, consisting of 1,104 Chinese University students (696 females or 63%), completed an online survey that included the following measures: Young's 8-item Internet Addiction Diagnosis Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Ruminative Responses Scale, and the Bedtime Procrastination Scale.

RESULTS

While the direct path between IA and poor sleep quality was not found to be significant, rumination and bedtime procrastination were each shown to separately mediate the predictive effect of IA on poor sleep quality. However, the greatest level of support was found for the sequential mediating effects of rumination and bedtime procrastination between IA and poor sleep quality.

CONCLUSION

While rumination and bedtime procrastination were both shown to be important independent mediators for the relation between IA and poor sleep quality, their combined effect was as great as either alone.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Academic Procrastination

Objective and Background

Academic procrastination as deliberate postponement of academic tasks, despite being aware of its consequences, is a common phenomenon among students. Current conceptualizations of procrastination support the rule of emotion regulation difficulties in the psychopathology of this phenomenon. In this regard, the current study is aimed to investigate the role of difficulty in emotion regulation in academic procrastination.

Method

The present study is a cross-sectional study. Participants were 250 students who completed Tuckman Procrastination Scale (TPS), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS).

Result

Correlation analyses showed that the TPS has a significant positive association on overall DERS and all but one of the six dimensions (DERS-Awareness) of emotion regulation difficulties (p < 0.01). This association remained significant after controlling for anxiety and depression. Further, the multivariate regression showed that the only DERS dimension that could predict TPS was DERS-Strategies. Finally, individuals with a high level of procrastination reported greater DERS scores than those with a lower level.

Discussion

Results indicate that difficulty in emotion regulation, especially the ones’ believe about his/her ability in regulating unpleasant emotions effectively, is important in procrastination. However, despite the limited association between DERS and TPS, the findings raise some potentially useful implications for procrastination studies and interventions.

It’s the thought that counts: Trait self-control is positively associated with well-being and coping via thought control ability

In the present study, we reason that the ability to keep unwanted thoughts and intrusions at bay – thought control ability – might explain part of the relationship between trait self-control and positive psychological outcomes. We predict that the ability to keep unwanted thoughts at bay causes people high in trait self-control to report higher subjective well-being (Study 1), and makes them to be more likely to cope with stressful life events in an adaptive rather than maladaptive manner (Study 2). Two cross-sectional studies among healthy individuals were conducted (Study 1 n = 284; 70% female; Mage = 22.15 years; Study 2 n = 210, 65.7% female, Mage = 28.07) in which trait self-control, thought control ability, subjective well-being (study 1), and coping styles (study 2) were measured. Additionally, we investigated the mediating role of thought control ability and the conditional effect of gender on this mediation. The results of Study 1 indicate that trait self-control is positively related to subjective well-being. Moreover, thought control ability fully mediated the relationship between trait self-control and subjective well-being, and this effect was particularly strong for women. In Study 2, trait self-control was positively associated with adaptive forms of coping, but negatively with maladaptive coping. Moreover, thought control ability partially mediated the relationship between trait self-control and both types of coping, with stronger results for women than for men. These results suggest that trait self-control affects positive life outcomes in part through an ability to keep unwanted thoughts at bay, thereby facilitating a focus on goal pursuit.

Brain Morphological Dynamics of Procrastination: The Crucial Role of the Self-Control, Emotional, and Episodic Prospection Network

Globally, about 17% individuals are suffering from the maladaptive procrastination until now, which impacts individual's financial status, mental health, and even public policy. However, the comprehensive understanding of neuroanatomical understructure of procrastination still remains gap. 688 participants including 3 independent samples were recruited for this study. Brain morphological dynamics referred to the idiosyncrasies of both brain size and brain shape. Multilinear regression analysis was utilized to delineate brain morphological dynamics of procrastination in Sample 1. In the Sample 2, cross-validation was yielded. Finally, prediction models of machine learning were conducted in Sample 3. Procrastination had a significantly positive correlation with the gray matter volume (GMV) in the left insula, anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC), and parahippocampal gyrus (PHC) but was negatively correlated with GMV of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and gray matter density of ACC. Furthermore, procrastination was positively correlated to the cortical thickness and cortical complexity of bilateral orbital frontal cortex (OFC). In Sample 2, all the results were cross-validated highly. Predication analysis demonstrated that these brain morphological dynamic can predict procrastination with high accuracy. This study ascertained the brain morphological dynamics involving in self-control, emotion, and episodic prospection brain network for procrastination, which advanced promising aspects of the biomarkers for it.

Religion and behavioral procrastination: Mediating effects of locus of control and content of prayer

Religion is a significant predictor of self-regulatory processes. Procrastination has been described as the very essence of self-regulatory failure. In this study, we examined the relationship between religiousness and procrastination, with locus of control and styles of prayer playing mediating roles. These relationships were tested using data from 196 students. We applied the Centrality of Religiosity Scale, Levenson’s Locus of Control Scale, the God Control Scale, the Content of Prayer Scale, and the Behavioral Procrastination Scale. The results showed that: God control fully mediates the effects of ideology and intellect on procrastination; internal control fully mediates the effect of public prayer and religious experience on procrastination; and passive style of prayer was a mediator in the relationship between centrality of religion and procrastination. Our findings suggest that religious people may give up internal control, believing that their matters are in God’s hands. Being subject to God’s power provides them with a replacement form of control, which reduces problems of self-regulation.