Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, China.
Neuroscience. 2022 Jan 15;481:12-20. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.11.036. Epub 2021 Nov 27.
Procrastination is generally recognized as a problematic behavior and the consequences of which spread to various aspects of an individual's life such as academic performance, social accomplishment, well-being, and health. Previous studies have indicated that neuroticism is positively correlated with procrastination; however, little is known about the neural substrates underlying the link between neuroticism and procrastination. To address this issue, we employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods to investigate the neural underpinning for their relationship in the present study (N = 153). Consistent with our hypothesis, the behavior results verified a positive correlation between neuroticism and procrastination (r = 0.47). The VBM analysis revealed that the gray matter (GM) volumes in the right middle temporal gyrus (RMTG) were positively correlated with neuroticism. Moreover, results from RSFC analysis suggested that the functional connectivity between RMTG and the right superior frontal gyrus (RSFG) was positively associated with neuroticism. More importantly, a mediation analysis demonstrated that neuroticism played a full mediating role in the impact of RMTG-RSFG functional connectivity on procrastination. Overall, the present study offered new insights into the relation between neuroticism and procrastination from a neural basis perspective, which also suggested the importance of emotional regulation with regard to the link between such an association.
拖延通常被认为是一种有问题的行为，其后果会波及个体生活的各个方面，如学业成绩、社交成就、幸福感和健康。先前的研究表明，神经质与拖延呈正相关；然而，神经质和拖延之间联系的神经基础知之甚少。为了解决这个问题，我们采用基于体素的形态学（VBM）和静息态功能连接（RSFC）方法来研究它们之间关系的神经基础（N=153）。与我们的假设一致，行为结果验证了神经质和拖延之间存在正相关（r=0.47）。VBM 分析显示，右侧颞中回（RMTG）的灰质（GM）体积与神经质呈正相关。此外，RSFC 分析的结果表明，RMTG 与右侧额上回（RSFG）之间的功能连接与神经质呈正相关。更重要的是，中介分析表明，神经质在 RMTG-RSFG 功能连接对拖延的影响中起着完全中介的作用。总的来说，本研究从神经基础的角度为神经质和拖延之间的关系提供了新的见解，也表明了情绪调节在这种联系中的重要性。
