French researchers have discovered a region of the brain where the decision to procrastinate is played out.
- In monkeys, overactivity of the anterior cingulate cortex can cause symptoms of depression, including negative emotions and lack of pleasure.
- These results “would avoid the negative effects of procrastination in fields as varied as education, the economy and health”, according to the authors.
Some people tend to postpone tasks until the next day, despite being aware of the potential negative consequences. “Yet the neuro-computational mechanisms underlying procrastination remain poorly understood”said scientists from Inserm, CNRS, Sorbonne University and AP-HP at the Brain Institute in Paris.
Procrastination: analyzing the brain activity and behaviors of 51 adults
For this study, published in the journal NatureCommunications, they recruited 51 people. The authors measured the participants’ brain activity, using an MRI, while they performed behavioral tests. For example, the volunteers had to attribute a value to rewards (cakes, flowers…) and to efforts (memorizing a number, doing push-ups…).
Next, the adults had to decide whether they wanted to get a small reward quickly or a big reward later. Another dilemma: “carry out a difficult task the next day or immediately”. The team also asked participants to complete tedious forms once they arrived home and return them within 30 days.
Brain: the anterior cingulate cortex performs a “cost-benefit calculation”
By combining functional imaging and behavioral tests, the researchers succeeded in identifying a region of the brain, called the “anterior cingulate cortex”, where the decision to procrastinate is played out. “The role of this region is to perform a cost-benefit calculation by integrating the costs (efforts) and benefits (rewards) associated with each option”, explained the authors. According to the results, “Procrastination could stem from a cognitive bias that makes performing a task later seem much less demanding in terms of effort, but not much less rewarding.”
