Neural Changes Following Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Procrastination

NCT06357364 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: CBT_Procrastination_Neuro
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 293
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of and the neural changes following two cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) protocols for procrastination with a wait-list control group. The interventions will be delivered online in group settings. Both protocols include identical psychoeducation and cognitive modules aiming at identification and modification of dysfunctional automatic thoughts related to procrastination but will differ in the behavioral modules. The behavioral module in the first protocol is focused on timely beginning and realistic planning. The second protocol implements working time restriction. The wait-list control group will receive one of the CBT protocols after a waiting period that will last as long as the CBT intervention and the assessments performed directly after treatment. It is assumed that the interventions will be superior to the wait-list control. Primary (procrastination) and secondary (depression and anxiety) measures will be collected prior to and after the interventions (or waiting period in the wait-list group) and after 6 months in the two active condition groups. Additionally, neuroimaging measurements will be conducted before and after the interventions (or waiting period in the wait-list group). Approximately half of the participants will undergo functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and another half will undergo electroencephalography (EEG). Both methods are aimed at exploring neural correlates of the expected improvements in participants' self-regulation abilities.

Conditions

Procrastination

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Polish version of the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)

  Assessment of procrastination level. The Polish version of PPS consists of 12 items that evaluate procrastination conceptualized as a dysfunctional delay (e.g. "I am continually saying I'll do it tomorrow"; "I delay making decisions until it's too late"). Participants respond on a 5-point scale (1 = "very seldom or not true of me"; 2 = "seldom true of me"; 3 = "sometimes true of me"; 4 = "often true of me"; 5 = "very often true of true of me")

  baseline assessment (week 0); mid-treatment assessment (week 3); post-treatment assessment (week 6); follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

• Change in Polish version of the Aitken Procrastination Inventory (API)

  Assessment of academic procrastination level. The Polish version of API consists of 19 items that evaluate the tendency of students to procrastinate in their academic tasks (e.g. "If I had an important project to do, I'd get started on it as quickly as possible", "Getting down to work often takes me a long time."). Participants respond on a 5-point scale (1 = "false"; 2 = "mostly false"; 3 = " sometimes false/sometimes true"; 4 = "mostly true"; 5 = "true").

  baseline assessment (week 0); mid-treatment assessment (week 3); post-treatment assessment (week 6); follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Polish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

  baseline assessment (week 0); mid-treatment assessment (week 3); post-treatment assessment (week 6); follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

• Change in Polish version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 (GAD-7)

  baseline assessment (week 0); mid-treatment assessment (week 3); post-treatment assessment (week 6); follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

• Percentage of completion of a particular project that the participant decided to work on during the training (e.g. a thesis, an essay, a report).

  baseline assessment (week 0); mid-treatment assessment (week 3); post-treatment assessment (week 6)

Other Outcomes (18)

• Change in Polish version of the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire - Short Form (SPSRQ-SF)

  baseline assessment (week 0), mid-treatment assessment (week 3), post-treatment assessment (week 6), follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

• Change in Polish version of the Multidimensional-Multiattributional Causality Scale (MMCS)

  baseline assessment (week 0), mid-treatment assessment (week 3), post-treatment assessment (week 6), follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

• Change in Polish version of the Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI)

  baseline assessment (week 0), mid-treatment assessment (week 3), post-treatment assessment (week 6), follow-up assessment (6 months after post-treatment assessment)

Study Arms (3)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Techniques of Starting on Time and Planning Realistically

EXPERIMENTAL

5 session (one session a week) online group therapy including psychoeducation and cognitive modules (what is procrastination, role of rewards, work environment, identification of dysfunctional automatic thoughts, cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention) and a behavioral module: realistic planning, timely beginning.

Behavioral: Psychoeducation and cognitive modules; Behavioral: Behavioral module: Starting on Time and Planning Realistically

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Technique of Working Time Restriction

EXPERIMENTAL

5 session (one session a week) online group therapy including psychoeducation and cognitive modules (what is procrastination, role of rewards, work environment, identification of dysfunctional automatic thoughts, cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention) and a behavioral module: working time restriction.

Behavioral: Psychoeducation and cognitive modules; Behavioral: Behavioral module: Working Time Restriction

Wait-list control group

NO INTERVENTION

no intervention

Interventions

Psychoeducation and cognitive modules BEHAVIORAL

Psychoeducation and cognitive modules: what is procrastination, role of rewards, work environment, belief identification, cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Technique of Working Time Restriction; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Techniques of Starting on Time and Planning Realistically

Behavioral module: Working Time Restriction BEHAVIORAL

Restriction of allowed time for work, and gradual increase of allowed time, if previous time windows where effectively used.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Technique of Working Time Restriction

Behavioral module: Starting on Time and Planning Realistically BEHAVIORAL

Learning of realistic planning, and timely starting of work.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Techniques of Starting on Time and Planning Realistically

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 26 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Bachelor's and Master's university students
• Self-reported primary difficulties related to chronic and severe procrastination
• Serious procrastination problem lasting for at least one year as confirmed during clinical interview
• Having a postponed/procrastinated project to complete in the course of therapy
• Willing to participate in the study
• Fluent in Polish language
• Computer access and stable Internet connection

You may not qualify if:

• Current participation in other psychotherapy
• Use of psychiatric medication during the last 12 weeks
• Severe anxiety or affective disorders or any other severe psychiatric disorders that require other types of specialized care and are primary to procrastination problem (e.g. major depressive episode, social phobia, PTSD, etc.)
• Active suicidality
• Psychosis, bipolar disorder
• Alcohol or substance dependence
• For Warsaw participants: contradictions for fMRI measurement (metal elements in the body, claustrophobia, neurological conditions, pregnancy etc), non right-handedness.
• For Poznań participants: neurological conditions (e.g. epilepsy)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences: lead
• SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities: collaborator
• Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Warsaw, 02-093, Poland

Location

Study Officials

• Marek Wypych, PhD, DSc

  Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Jarosław Michałowski, Prof.

  SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Joachim Kowalski, PhD

  Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: A researcher not having direct contact with participants will create a script generating random sequence using a computer random sequence generator (Matlab). Randomization will take place at an individual level, stratified by age, gender and procrastination severity (block randomization). Participants will be randomized into three groups with an allocation ratio of 1:1:1. Pairs of experienced psychotherapists trained in one of the therapy protocols will deliver the interventions in an online group setting.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 18, 2024
• First Posted: April 10, 2024
• Study Start: April 8, 2024
• Primary Completion: January 15, 2026
• Study Completion: January 15, 2026
• Last Updated: April 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2024-11

Locations

PL (1)