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.

The relationship between family cohesion and bedtime procrastination among Chinese college students: the chain mediating effect of coping styles and mobile phone addiction.

BACKGROUND: Bedtime procrastination refers to an individual's inability to go to bed at a predetermined time without external obstacles. Previous researchers have found that the bedtime procrastination is harmful to human physical and mental health, but these research on bedtime procrastination have mostly focused on exploring individual factors, while ignoring the external environmental factors. Therefore, this is the first study to investigate bedtime procrastination from the perspective of family environments. METHODS: The study was conducted using a convenient sampling method and online questionnaires. Family Cohesion Scale, Coping Styles Questionnaire, Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale and Bedtime Procrastination Scale were used to measure sleep and psychological condition of 1,048 college students. RESULTS: Family cohesion negatively predicted bedtime procrastination. Additionally, positive coping style and mobile phone addiction had significant independent mediating effects. Furthermore, positive coping style and mobile phone addiction had chain mediating effects between family cohesion and bedtime procrastination. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the effect of coping styles and mobile phone addiction on the relationship between family cohesion and bedtime procrastination among Chinese college students. These findings explained the mechanisms of bedtime procrastination from the perspective of environment, so as to effectively intervene the bedtime procrastination of college students from the perspective of external environment.

Bedtime procrastination related to loneliness among Chinese university students during post-pandemic period: a moderated chain mediation model.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship between loneliness and bedtime procrastination among Chinese university students, the mediating effects of COVID-19 risk perception and self-regulatory fatigue, and connectedness to nature's protective role, post pandemic. METHODS: We recruited 855 students to complete the Loneliness, Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Pandemic, Self-Regulatory Fatigue, Bedtime Procrastination, and Connectedness to Nature Scales. Data for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and moderated chain mediation effects were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 and process 3.5 macros. RESULTS: Loneliness positively correlated with bedtime procrastination, COVID-19 risk perception mediated the impact of loneliness on bedtime procrastination, self-regulatory fatigue mediated the effect of loneliness on bedtime procrastination, and COVID-19 risk perception and self-regulatory fatigue mediated the effect between loneliness and bedtime procrastination. Furthermore, connectedness to nature mediated the impact of COVID-19 risk perception on self-regulatory fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the effects and potential mechanisms of loneliness on bedtime procrastination after the relaxation of the pandemic prevention and control policy in China from the perspective of self-regulatory resources and provide insights into improving university students' sleep routine and mental health post pandemic.

The multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy and resilience on the relationship between social support and procrastination among vocational college students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has revealed a negative association between social support and procrastination. However, few studies have investigated the mechanism underlying this relationship among vocational college students. OBJECTIVE: Based on the social cognitive theory, this study was intended to investigate the multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy and resilience on the relationship between social support and procrastination among vocational college students. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design involving a sample of 1,379 students from a vocational college in China. Data were collected using the General Procrastination Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Resilience Scale-14. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to examine the multiple mediation model. RESULTS: Our findings indicate significant negative correlations between social support, self-efficacy, resilience, and procrastination. The multiple mediation analysis showed that social support did not have a significant direct impact on procrastination. Instead, the relationship between social support and procrastination was fully mediated by self-efficacy (indirect effect: -0.017; 95% CI: -0.032, -0.004) and resilience (indirect effect: -0.047; 95% CI: -0.072, -0.025), and sequentially mediated by both factors (indirect effect: -0.013; 95% CI: -0.020, -0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasise the importance of enhancing self-efficacy and resilience in initiatives aimed at preventing and intervening in case of procrastination among vocational college students. Additionally, strengthening social support may also be crucial to preventing or reducing procrastination among this population.

Procrastination, depressive symptomatology, and loneliness in later life.

OBJECTIVES: Procrastination is an almost universal behaviour and yet little research to date has focused on procrastination among older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential association between age and procrastination, and the potential mediating roles of depressive symptomatology and loneliness. METHOD: Structural equation modelling was applied to data from 1309 participants (aged 29-92) from two waves United States Health and Retirement Study (2016-2020). Within the model, sex, education, marital status, and job status were added as covariates. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant direct effect between age and procrastination (ß = 0.06, p = 0.106). However, an indirect effect was present via depressive symptomatology (ß = -0.40, p < 0.001). No mediating effect of loneliness was observed (ß = - 0.01, p = 0.371). Subsequent analysis revealed that the symptoms, fatigue, loneliness, and lack of motivation significantly predicted procrastination. CONCLUSION: While age was not directly associated with procrastination, increasing age was associated with a decreased likelihood of depressive symptomatology, which was in turn associated with an increased likelihood of procrastination. Such findings indicates that age demonstrates no association with procrastination because of the suppressing effect of depressive symptomatology.

The triangle of anxiety, perfectionism, and academic procrastination: exploring the correlates in medical and dental students.

INTRODUCTION: Academic procrastination is a common phenomenon among medical science students. This issue can negatively affect the students' academic performance. The aim of this study was to investigate perfectionism and anxiety as potential predictors of academic procrastination in medical and dental students. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and dental students of a public medical sciences university in the south of Iran. Students were assessed using the procrastination assessment scale for students (PASS), Tehran multidimensional perfectionism scale (TMPS), and anxiety subscale of the general health questionnaire (GHQ). Predictors of academic procrastination were evaluated using multiple regression analysis with adjustments made for gender and academic semester. RESULTS: A total of 176 medical and 79 dental students participated in the study. None of the perfectionism components were predictors of academic procrastination. However, anxiety was a significant predictor of academic procrastination in the total sample of students (standardized ß = 0.404, p < 0.001), as well as dental (standardized ß = 0.356, p < 0.001) and medical (standardized ß = 0.478, p < 0.001) students. Anxiety and academic procrastination were both negatively correlated with students' grade point averages. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that anxiety, as opposed to perfectionism, has a more significant influence on academic procrastination among medical and dental students. Interventions aimed at lowering anxiety may be beneficial for reducing academic procrastination, thereby enhancing the academic performance of the students.

[The Relationship between Personality Structure, Burnout and Procrastination in Psychology and Medical Students, Taking into Account Social Support and Scope for Decision-Making in Studies]. / Der Zusammenhang von Persönlichkeitsstruktur, Burnout und Prokrastination bei Psychologie- und Medizinstudierenden unter Einbeziehung von sozialer Unterstützung und Entscheidungsspielraum im Studium.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and procrastination are widespread phenomena among students. The role of personality structure has been little researched so far. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: The relationship between personality structure and study-related work disorders in psychology and medical students is examined, taking into account resources and demands. METHODS: As part of a cross-sectional study, data was collected online from 61 German colleges and universities. Personality structure variables (levels of personality functioning, OPD-SFK; attachment, ECR-RD 12; emotion regulation, ERQ), study-related work disorders (burnout, MBI-SS-d; procrastination; APSI-d) as well as resources (social support, F-SozU K-6; scope for decision-making in studies, self-developed scale) and demands (Corona pandemic, self-developed scale) were assessed. The research question was answered by means of a hierarchical regression analysis. RESULTS: From February 2020 to December 2021, 775 students (49.2% psychology students, 50.8% medical students; age M=24.1 years, SD=5.1 years; 82.3% female, 17.4% male, 0.3% diverse) participated in the survey. In the overall model, 30.4% of the variance in burnout exhaustion, 16.2% of the variance in burnout cynicism, 20.9% of the variance in burnout inefficiency and 30.1% of the variance in procrastination was explained (p<0.001). Levels of personality functioning showed significant negative correlations with all burnout variables as well as with procrastination (p<0.001). The emotion regulation strategy reappraisal was associated with lower burnout inefficiency and procrastination (p<0.001), and the emotion suppression strategy with lower burnout cynicism (p≤0.01). Scope for decision-making in studies was negatively associated with all burnout variables and procrastination (p<0.001), and social support was negatively associated with burnout inefficiency (p≤0.01). The general stress level during the Corona pandemic showed a positive association with burnout exhaustion (p≤0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Personality structure (levels of personality functioning, emotion regulation) is significantly related to study-related burnout and procrastination. Training opportunities to promote emotion regulation skills could be very helpful for vulnerable student groups in dealing with burnout and procrastination.

Parental psychological control and depression, anxiety among adolescents: The mediating role of bedtime procrastination and moderating role of neuroticism.

Studies have shown that maladaptive parenting styles, particularly parental psychological control may be an important risk factor for emotional problems in adolescence. However, the potential mechanisms behind this association are still not fully understood. To fill the research gap, this study investigated the relationship between parental psychological control and depression and anxiety among adolescents. It also explored the mediating effect of bedtime procrastination and the moderating effect of neuroticism through a moderated mediation analysis. A sample of 665 adolescents (331 girls) were recruited from two secondary schools in southern China. All participants completed standardized self-report questionnaires measuring the severity of parental psychological control, bedtime procrastination, depression, anxiety, and neuroticism. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and PROCESS macros. The results indicated that parental psychological control had a positive predictive effect on depression and anxiety among adolescents. Bedtime procrastination partially mediated the relationship between parental psychological control and depression, as well as parental psychological control and anxiety. Neuroticism was found to play a moderating role in the path from bedtime procrastination to depression and from bedtime procrastination to anxiety, with these effects being stronger for adolescents with higher levels of neuroticism. This study advances a deeper understanding of how and when or for whom parental psychological control is related to adolescents' severe depression and anxiety. Our findings suggest that intervention programs or strategies aimed at reducing parental psychological control and assisting adolescents in establishing healthy sleep hygiene practices should be developed to decrease the risk of depression and anxiety in adolescents.

Elevated perceived stress in university students due to the COVID-19 pandemic: Potential contributing factors in a propensity-score-matched sample.

OBJECTIVE: Onset of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic has increased students' perceived burdens. The current study aimed to examine COVID-related changes and to identify potential factors that contribute to students' stress. METHOD: Adopting a cross-sectional cohort-study design, we examined perceived stress and depressive and anxiety symptoms with a specific focus on the role of study-related variables such as perceived study-related demands, study-related resources, academic procrastination, and stress-enhancing beliefs. Two cohorts (Npre-COVID = 2,175; NCOVID = 959) were recruited at the same university and matched with regard to their propensity score (age, gender, semester). RESULTS: Compared with the pre-COVID cohort, university students in the COVID cohort reported more perceived stress, more depressive and anxiety symptoms, more academic procrastination due to fear of failure, more stress-enhancing beliefs, more distress due to the housing situation, and more perceived study-related challenges (Cohen's d = 0.15-0.45). A stepwise regression analysis identified depressive symptoms, procrastination due to fear of failure, general self-efficacy, increased study demands, perceived difficulties with self-organized learning, distress due to housing, and stress-enhancing beliefs as predictors of perceived stress in the COVID cohort. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest that the switch to online-only education increased the study-related burden for students, primarily due to exams being replaced by a greater amount of regular coursework and imposing demands on self-organized learning. Possibly, stress-enhancing beliefs and procrastination due to fear of failure might have been elevated due to less opportunity for social referencing and lack of felt social support by peer students. CONCLUSION: Experienced increased burden in students during the COVID pandemic was mostly accounted for by a lack of perceived individual resources rather than by an increase in objective study-related demands.

Relationship between academic procrastination and self-efficacy amongst dental undergraduate students at a public university in Karachi, Pakistan.

Objective: To compare the procrastination and self-efficacy scores among students with respect to the academic year of dental undergraduate programme, and to assess the relationship between self-efficacy and academic procrastination among the students. METHODS: The descriptive study was conducted at Sindh Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, from January to March 2023, and comprised medical students of either gender from all the 4 academic years. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire whose validity was assessed using a pilot study. Data was analysed using SPSS 18. RESULTS: Of the 136 students, 84(61.8%) were females and 52(38.2%) were males. There were 34(25%) students from the 1st year, 32(23.5%) from 2nd year, 38(28%) from the 3rd year, and 32(23.5%) from the final year. The highest mean score for procrastination was from 3rd year students 67.7±12.8, while the highest mean score for self-efficacy was from 1st year students 30.2±4. There was no significant difference in terms of gender (p>0.05). Procrastination scores had a significant association with the academic year (p=0.016). Conclusion: Procrastination scores were high among the dental students with the highest score from 3rd year students. The academic environment should provide support help the students devise strategies to optimally utilise the available time.

The triple psychological and neural bases underlying procrastination: Evidence based on a two-year longitudinal study.

The triple brain anatomical network model of procrastination theorized procrastination as the result of psychological and neural dysfunction implicated in self-control, emotion regulation and episodic prospection. However, no studies have provided empirical evidence for such model. To address this issue, we designed a two-wave longitudinal study where participants underwent the resting-state scanning and completed the questionnaires at two time-points that spanned 2-year apart (T1, n = 457; T2, n = 457). Using the cross-lagged panel network modeling (CLPN), we found that triple psychological components at T1, including self-control, emotion regulation (i.e., reappraisal) and episodic prospection, negatively predicted procrastination at T2 in the temporal network. Moreover, the CLPN modeling found that functional connectivity between networks accounting for episodic prospection (EP) and emotion regulation (ER) positively predicted future procrastination in the temporal network. The centrality analyzes further showed that procrastination was greatly affected by other nodes, whilst the psychological component (i.e., episodic prospection), and the functional network connectivity (FNC) of EP- ER exerted strongest impacts on other nodes in the networks, which indicated that treatments targeting episodic prospection might largely help reduce procrastination. Collectively, these findings firstly provide evidence for testifying the triple brain anatomical network model of procrastination, and highlights the contribution of triple psychological and neural components implicated in self-control, emotion regulation and episodic prospection to procrastination that enhances our understanding of causes of procrastination.

Development and validation of the while-in-bed-smartphone-use-induced sleep procrastination scale (WSPS) in Chinese undergraduates with/without problematic smartphone use.

PURPOSE: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has become a global public health problem. Excessive while-in-bed smartphone use may result in sleep procrastination and other negative outcomes. The present study aimed to develop and validate a new scale called WSPS to assess while-in-bed-smartphone-use-induced sleep procrastination among undergraduates. METHODS: In total, 910 Chinese undergraduates completed the collection of WSPS, smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV), bedtime procrastination scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and Zung self-rating depression scale. The whole sample were randomly splited in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) sample (n = 455) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) sample (n = 455). 40 undergraduates with PSU (SAS-SV > 31) and 40 without PSU were asked to keep sleep diary for 2 weeks and complete the WSPS again. RESULTS: EFA and CFA supported a six-item unidimensional structure of the WSPS. The WSPS demonstrated acceptable internal consistency among undergraduates. The WSPS showed good concurrent validity with other relevant variables including PSU, BP, sleep quality, and depression. Scalar invariance of the WSPS between undergraduates with/without PSU was supported, as well as scalar invariance across gender. The WSPS showed good convergent validity with self-report everyday while-in-bed smartphone use duration and good discriminant validity with sleep duration and sleep onset latency recorded by sleep diary. The WSPS also presented good test-retest reliability among undergraduates with/without PSU. CONCLUSION: The WSPS is a reliable and valid measure of while-in-bed-smartphone-use-induced sleep procrastination in undergraduates with/without PSU.

The effect of smartphone addiction on the relationship between psychological stress reaction and bedtime procrastination in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on bedtime procrastination mainly focused on the influencing factors of stress and draw less attention on the role of family environment. AIM: This study aimed to explore the effect of psychological stress reaction on bedtime procrastination in young adults, with considering the mediating effect of smartphone addiction, and the moderating effect of family cohesion during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A sample of 1217 young adults completed psychological stress reaction scale, Smartphone addiction tendency scale for young adults, bedtime procrastination scale and family cohesion scale. A moderated mediation model was conducted to clarify the effect of psychological stress reaction on bad bedtime procrastination in young adults. RESULTS: The findings showed that: (1) The individual level of psychological stress reaction was positively associated with bedtime procrastination; (2) Smartphone addiction mediated the effect of psychological stress reaction on bedtime procrastination; (3) Family cohesion moderated the relationship among psychological stress reaction, smartphone addiction and bedtime procrastination. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the effect of smartphone addiction on the relationship between psychological stress reaction and bedtime procrastination during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these findings could provide novel evidence that family cohesion may serve as a protective factor against the negative consequences of smartphone addiction on bad bedtime procrastination.

The Relationship Between Defenses and Learning: The Mediating Role of Procrastination and Well-Being Among Undergraduate Students.

ABSTRACT: This study investigates the relationship among defense styles and learning through academic procrastination and psychological well-being. The sample comprises 628 social science students from a Greek university. Path analysis is used to explore associations and interactions among the variables. The results show that academic procrastination and psychological well-being mediate the relationship between defense styles and approaches to learning, indicating the expected direct and indirect effects. Defense styles are directly related to approaches to learning. Mature defense styles are associated with learning through psychological well-being in a positive way, and immature defense styles are associated with learning through academic procrastination in a negative way. This study supports the current line of research in associations between defense styles and learning and the importance of linking mental health variables with learning.

Mobile phone dependency and sleep quality in college students during COVID-19 outbreak: the mediating role of bedtime procrastination and fear of missing out.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between mobile phone dependency, bedtime procrastination, FoMO, and sleep quality among college students during the COVID-19 outbreak. Specifically, we examined whether bedtime procrastination and FoMO mediate the relationship between mobile phone dependency and sleep quality. METHODS: A total of 881 college students completed an online survey in May 2022 in Shanghai, China. Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire, Bedtime Procrastination Scale, Fear of Missing Out Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to assess mobile phone dependency, bedtime procrastination, fear of missing out, and sleep quality, respectively. Multiple linear regression and mediation analysis were conducted. RESULTS: The correlation analyses indicated mobile phone dependency was positively associated with fear of missing out, bedtime procrastination, and poor sleep quality among college students. The structural equation modeling analyses revealed that mobile phone dependency had significant indirect effects on sleep quality through bedtime procrastination (indirect effect: 0.030, 95%CI: 0.022-0.041) and fear of missing out (indirect effect: 0.013, 95%CI: 0.003-0.023). CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that bedtime procrastination and fear of missing out are mediators mediating the relationship between mobile phone dependency with sleep quality. Bedtime procrastination and fear of missing out should be considered as potential intervention targets for reducing mobile phone dependency and improving sleep quality in college students.

The chain mediating roles of anxiety and depression in the relationship between the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and procrastination in adolescents: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is a traumatic event for adolescents, and procrastination is not clear. Mental health may play an important role in this relationship; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to construct chain mediation models to examine whether anxiety and depression symptoms mediate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on procrastination in adolescents. METHODS: A convenience sample of 12 middle and high schools in Harbin, China, with four follow-up online surveys was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 4,156 Chinese adolescents were enrolled in this study, of whom ages 11-18 (Mean = 13.55; SD = 1.18), 50.75% were male, and 93.24% were middle school students. Descriptive demographic analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (T1), anxiety(T2), depression (T3), and procrastination (T4) were performed in SPSS 22.0. Chain mediation analysis performed with Mplus 8.3. RESULTS: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and procrastination were positively correlated (P < 0.01). The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have a direct link on adolescent procrastination (effect = 0.156; SE = 0.031; 95%CI: 0.092, 0.214), and have three indirect paths on procrastination: the independent mediating role of anxiety symptoms was 29.01% (effect = 0.047; SE = 0.012; 95%CI: 0.024, 0.072), the independent mediating role of depression symptoms was 29.01% (effect = 0.047; SE = 0.010; 95%CI: 0.030, 0.068), as well as the completely chain mediating role of anxiety and depression symptoms was 15.43% (effect = 0.025; SE = 0.005; 95%CI: 0.017, 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that anxiety and depressive symptoms are part of a causal chain between the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and procrastination among Chinese adolescents. To effectively reduce their procrastination, attention should be paid to the emotional distress caused to adolescents by major events such as the COVID-19 epidemic. All data were taken from self-reported measures and one city in China, which may bias the results and limit their generalizability.

Carrying groceries: More items in early trips than in later trips or the reverse? Implications for pre-crastination.

Returning home from the grocery store with a car full of groceries requires decisions about how many bags to carry when. If the decisions exemplify procrastination, people should carry more bags per trip in late trips than in early trips (putting the hard work off until later), but if the decisions exemplify the recently discovered phenomenon of pre-crastination (Rosenbaum et al. in Psychol Sci 25: 1487-1496, 2014), people should carry more bags per trip in early trips than in late trips (doing the hard work early). To distinguish between these possibilities, we asked university students to carry 5 or 11 dodgeballs from one bin to another 4, 8, 12, or 16 feet away in as many trips as they wished. A random half of the subjects did the tasks with an additional requirement to memorize and then recall 7 digits after carrying all the balls from the home to the target bin. Consistent with pre-crastination, participants carried the most balls per trip in early trips, and consistent with the hypothesis that pre-crastination relates to memory load, the number of balls carried per trip was affected by the presence of a memory load. The results add to the growing evidence for the generality of pre-crastination.

The Effect of Trait Anxiety on Bedtime Procrastination: the Mediating Role of Self-Control.

BACKGROUND: Bedtime procrastination (BP), a special type of health behavior procrastination, is considered to be a failure of self-control. Notably, self-control may mediate the effect of trait anxiety on general procrastination. However, there is no evidence demonstrating the role of self-control in the relationship between trait anxiety and BP. Moreover, the association between BP and trait anxiety has not yet been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the direct relationship between them as well as the mediating role of self-control in this relationship. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey included 718 college students enrolled in Chinese universities between October 2018 and January 2020. The Chinese versions of the Bedtime Procrastination Scale, the Self-Control Scale, and the Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to evaluate BP, self-control, and trait anxiety, respectively. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis revealed trait anxiety independently predicted BP while controlling for demographic characteristics. Correlation analyses showed that BP was positively correlated with trait anxiety, but negatively related to self-control. Structural equation modeling further revealed a mediating role of self-control in the relationship between trait anxiety and BP. CONCLUSIONS: Trait anxiety is a significant independent predictor of BP and may induce BP directly or indirectly through the effect of self-control. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between trait anxiety and BP and the underlying mechanism by exploring the mediating effect of self-control. As such, trait anxiety and self-control should be included in prevention and intervention strategies to address BP behavior in college students.

Mindfulness is Associated with Better Sleep Quality in Young Adults by Reducing Boredom and Bedtime Procrastination.

OBJECTIVE: Bedtime procrastination is a relatively new topic of research and has been found to compromise sleep. Researchers have studied the predictors, but only a few studies have focused on the ways to reduce bedtime procrastination. Mindfulness, a novel variable in this research area, may shed some light on how to decrease bedtime procrastination. This study examined a serial mediation model and hypothesized that the relationship between mindfulness and better sleep quality would be serially mediated by lower levels of boredom and bedtime procrastination. METHODS: This study employed a correlational approach and recruited a sample of 220 participants aged between 17 and 30 (M = 20.34 years, SD = 2.86). In the Qualtrics online survey, participants completed a series of questionnaires measuring mindfulness, boredom, bedtime procrastination, and sleep quality. RESULTS: The analyses provided support for our serial mediation model. Mindfulness predicted a lower level of boredom, which in turn predicted a lower level of bedtime procrastination and subsequently better sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlighted the role of mindfulness in curbing bedtime procrastination, setting a foundation for future research on the interventions for sleep issues associated with bedtime procrastination. We discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

The effect of problematic smartphone use on school engagement and disengagement among middle school students: The mediating role of academic procrastination and sleep quality.

INTRODUCTION: Although a few research have tried to explore the relationship between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and school engagement, most of them are limited to relatively simple correlation, and the mechanism needs to be further explored. This research focused on the relationship between PSU and school engagement/disengagement, and intended to verify two mediation paths. METHODS: We conducted two studies in 2019 at a middle school in China. 289 students (44.6% girls), aged 11-18 (Mage = 13.25, standard deviation [SD] = 1.73), participated in Study 1, a longitudinal cross-lag analysis intend to verify the relationship between PSU and school engagement/disengagement. Using a separate sample, Study 2 explored the mediating roles of academic procrastination and sleep quality. Four hundred thirty-two students aged 11-19 (42.1% girls, Mage = 16.11, SD = 1.56) participated in this cross-sectional study. In both studies, all participants completed self-report measures in classrooms during regular school hours. RESULTS: In Study 1, the results showed that PSU (T1) could significantly predict school engagement/disengagement (T2), but school engagement/disengagement (T1) could not predict PSU (T2). In Study 2, we found that academic procrastination could mediate the effect of PSU on school engagement, and sleep quality could mediate the effect of PSU on both school engagement and disengagement. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlighted that the school engagement/disengagement of adolescents can be influenced by PSU through several different ways, through which we can protect adolescents from the negative effects of PSU.