ACT and CBT single-session interventions reduce procrastination among students compared to a control group - The...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Procrastination is common among university students, negatively impacting well-being and academic functioning.
• Existing interventions for procrastination are often time-intensive, posing accessibility challenges for students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of single-session interventions (SSIs) based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for reducing student procrastination.
• To investigate the influence of outcome expectations and manipulated expectation congruence on intervention efficacy.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 151 students with recurrent procrastination.
• Participants were assigned to a CBT-SSI, ACT-SSI, or a no-intervention control group.
• Interventions were 60-minute face-to-face sessions, with expectation congruence manipulated via pre-session videos.

Main Results:

• Both CBT-SSI and ACT-SSI significantly reduced state procrastination, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and task aversion compared to the control group.
• No significant differences were found between CBT and ACT interventions.
• Higher baseline improvement expectations predicted greater improvement, independent of intervention condition.

Conclusions:

• CBT- and ACT-based SSIs are effective, accessible, short-term strategies for mitigating student procrastination.
• Treatment expectations and adherence appear crucial for optimizing brief psychological interventions.
• Further research should explore long-term efficacy and mechanisms of change.