自我控制减少拖延行为的认知神经机制

拖延行为常常阻碍个人、企业和政府按时完成既定任务,妨害了人们的工作、学业以及疾病防治等方方面面。自我控制是自主减少拖延行为的主要能力,但却是一种相对有限的认知资源。探明自我控制的作用机制有助于更高效地减少拖延行为。然而,由于缺乏合适的认知机制理论和脑成像实验范式,国内外研究多从现象层面探索自我控制、拖延行为和神经指标之间的关系。研究团队提出的“时间决策模型”通过揭示人们如何做出拖延决策,为认知机制的研究和脑成像实验范式的设计提供了理论支持。基于时间决策模型中“现在做还是以后做”的决策机制,本项目拟:(1)结合横向和纵向研究,考察自我控制作用的认知机制及其稳定性;(2)开发拖延的脑成像实验范式,结合多模态MRI技术,揭示自我控制减少拖延决策的神经基础;(3)利用神经刺激技术,考察“基于自我控制脑区的神经干预”的效果及作用机制。研究成果有望为拖延行为提供更加综合的理论框架和新的干预方案。     

拖延行为的发展认知机制及神经基础

拖延是指尽管预见到拖延会带来不利后果, 人们仍自愿推迟开始或完成某一计划好的任务。研究表明, 不同文化背景下有15%~20%的成年人存在慢性拖延, 超过70%的学生承认自己存在学业拖延, 部分学生还会形成特质性拖延。严重的拖延不仅影响人们的学业、工作和生活, 甚至还会危害到人们的身心健康。鉴于目前对于拖延产生的核心机制、形成的关键期以及发展认知神经机制还不是很清楚, 本项目拟从拖延的时间决策理论出发, 首先系统探明拖延决策的核心机制, 尤其是远期价值评估、延迟折扣和自我控制能力等在拖延决策过程中的认知加工机制和神经基础; 其次结合行为-环境变量-脑的多模态数据, 从发展角度探究拖延形成的关键期(敏感期)、影响因素以及发展认知神经机制; 最后从行为干预和脑的可塑性角度出发, 试图制定各关键年龄阶段拖延预防与干预的临床方案。本研究的开展对于把握拖延形成的认知机制、神经基础及其发展规律具有重要的科学价值, 对于拖延行为的预防和干预也具有直接的现实意义。     

拖延行为的时间取向模型

拖延(Procrastination)是指尽管预见到该行为会带来不利后果,人们仍自愿推迟开始或完成某一计划好的行为。首先重点阐释了新近发展的几个时间取向的拖延行为模型:时间动机理论(Temporal Motivation Theory,TMT)模型、时间取向的双维模型(2×2 model of time-related academic behavior)和概念模型(Conceptual Model));然后在时间取向理论基础之上从内部因素(人格因素、认知因素和应对策略等)和外部因素(家庭环境、学校教育、任务性质等)两个方面对拖延行为的成因进行了分析。未来研究应该从拖延行为的心理机制、神经基础、行为遗传学以及开发有效的干预方法等方面开展大量的研究。     

建言行为的认知影响因素、理论基础及发生机制

目前关于建言行为的研究大多关注其发生的前因变量, 而探讨其认知发生机制的研究则相对较少。建言行为不论是在行为触发机制、过程决策机制还是建议表达机制等三个方面均与个体的认知活动密切相关。通过梳理影响员工建言行为发生的认知因素, 该文提出员工建言行为认知发生机制全模型, 并对未来的研究方向作出展望。     

拖延行为的认知神经模型及干预

拖延是一种普遍存在, 具有跨时间和跨情景稳定性的问题行为, 它会危害到人们的学习、工作和身心健康。然而目前拖延行为的认知神经机制仍不清晰, 且缺乏因果证据, 本项目拟从拖延的时间决策模型和三重神经结构网络模型出发, 构建拖延的认知神经模型, 并利用认知干预和神经调控技术, 检验和完善拖延行为的认知神经模型, 进而试图制定拖延的精准化干预方案。本项目分为3部分：(1)从记录与关联研究的视角出发, 利用多模态神经影像方法系统考察拖延行为的认知神经机制; (2)从因果/近因果研究视角出发, 利用认知干预和神经调控技术, 验证并完善拖延的认知神经模型; (3)从临床应用的视角出发, 建立拖延行为障碍的临床筛查-诊断体系, 并制定精准化治疗方案。本项目的开展对于探明拖延产生的核心认知神经机制具有十分重要的理论贡献, 同时对于拖延行为的有效预防和精准治疗具有重要的现实意义。     

大学生学习拖延研究综述

学习拖延是指有目的地推迟必须完成的学习任务的行为。学习者的个性特质、角色冲突、自我调节能力不足以及学习任务特征,是导致大学生学习拖延的重要因素。当前对大学生学习拖延的测评主要采用自陈式量表,对学习拖延的干预主要采用认知-行为咨询法。强化实验研究、探讨综合性理论框架是该研究领域的重要发展方向。     

航空决策模型及其影响因素分析

航空决策指在航空飞行驾驶过程中,飞行员面对特定情境做出最佳决策时的心理过程。情景评估和风险评估是航空决策模型中最重要的两个阶段。个体认知因素、疲劳和动机因素以及知识经验的限制会导致不良航空决策,组织压力和社会因素则通过混淆飞行员对飞行安全的看法间接影响航空决策。在未来的研究中,研究者应当重视构建更合理的航空决策模型,从辩证的角度全面看待知识经验与飞行安全的关系,加强对动机因素和环境因素的调查分析和实验性研究。     

认知、动机、情感因素对谈判行为的影响

谈判,指两方或多方就利益不同而进行的协商,是解决选择冲突最常见的方式之一。认知、动机及情感因素,影响谈判者的信息处理与判断推理过程。谈判中它们既可能导致决策偏差,也可能促进决策质量。长期以来着眼于认知过程的谈判研究在社会心理学中占主流地位。近年,动机与情感因素对谈判行为的影响受到越来越多的关注。从社会认知的冷（cold：认知）、热（hot：动机、情感）两个角度,系统解析相关研究近年来的进展与成果,可以为揭示认知、动机、情感间的互动如何影响谈判行为打下基础     

情绪调节改善拖延行为的认知机制：任务厌恶中介作用

先前研究表明,使用适应性情绪调节策略越多则拖延行为越少,但情绪调节影响拖延行为的认知机制仍不清楚。拖延的时间决策模型认为拖延与否主要取决于任务厌恶与结果效用之间的权衡。因此,情绪调节可能是通过降低任务厌恶或提升结果效用来改善拖延。为探明此问题,本研究选取高拖延人群作为研究对象,分为积极重评组(34人)和无效策略组(34人),对两组被试进行了为期7天的经验采样法的纵向追踪(共14次)研究。结果发现：(1)后测中积极重评组执行意愿显著高于无效策略组,前测中两组无显著差异。(2)后测中积极重评组任务厌恶显著低于无效策略组,前测中两组无显著差异;后测中积极重评组结果效用显著高于无效策略组,前测中两组无显著差异。(3)任务厌恶降低量中介了情绪调节对拖延改善程度的作用,而结果效用提升量不能中介此作用。结果表明：情绪调节主要通过降低任务厌恶来提升执行意愿,从而降低拖延行为,这为从情绪调节角度干预拖延提供了坚实的理论依据。     

情绪影响冲突加工的认知神经机制

情绪影响冲突加工是情绪和认知交互作用的一个重要表现。近期研究发现,与中性情绪刺激相比,正性和负性情绪刺激能显著促进或干扰冲突加工,情绪信息在一定程度上还能影响冲突适应过程。情绪信息促进还是干扰冲突加工,受到研究范式、情绪刺激的任务相关性、个体差异和任务难度等因素的影响。未来应从情绪趋避动机的角度探索情绪影响冲突加工及其特征、关注不同情绪影响冲突加工的机制。此外,研究冲突经历对情绪加工的影响及其机制也是值得探讨的方向。     

A Measure of Delay Discounting Within the Academic Domain

It is important to better understand the decision‐making processes involved in student procrastination, in order to develop interventions that reduce this common problem. Students may procrastinate because studying produces delayed reinforcers; however, no task measuring delay discounting of academic outcomes currently exists. In Experiment 1, we developed and piloted a measure of academic discounting modeled on titrating‐amount tasks successfully used in the discounting literature. Participants made hypothetical choices between working for money (the smaller, sooner reinforcer) and working on an assignment that was due at various times (the larger, later reinforcer). Participants showed systematic decreases in the subjective value of the assignment as a function of delay, and the hyperbolic and hyperboloid models described the shape of this decrease in value well. In general, larger delayed rewards are discounted less steeply than smaller delayed rewards (the magnitude effect). In Experiment 2, we observed the magnitude effect in academic discounting: Participants discounted a “not important” assignment more steeply than an “important” assignment. In the hyperboloid model, this change was captured by an increase in the s parameter. Results provide support for the validity of the academic discounting task. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Procrastinators and fear of failure: an exploration of reasons for procrastination

Procrastination, the act or tendency of putting things off that should be done today until tomorrow, has recently become a field of interest in the study of academic underachievement. In constructing tests for the measurement of procrastination, and in comparing test scores with self-attributions of reasons for procrastination, an unexpected discrepancy has been observed between fear of failure as a prominent reason for procrastination and test fear of failure being unrelated to procrastination. This study was meant to clarify this discrepancy. Students who procrastinate generally endorse many reasons for procrastination simultaneously. For some relatively homogeneous groups of students fear of failure is one of these reasons. Other groups of students do not attribute procrastination to fear of failure at all. For the sample as a whole, procrastination and fear of failure appear unrelated. However, trait procrastination and fear of failure may interact and result in increased levels of actualprocrastinatory behaviour.     

预期想象对拖延的影响:想象过程和想象结果的效应分离

摘要 为了考察预期想象对不同拖延水平个体拖延行为的影响,本研究采用一般拖延量表(General Procrastination Scale)选取高拖延被试和低拖延被试,要求被试在进行模拟现实的拖延任务之前分别对任务过程和任务结果进行预期想象,比较不同拖延水平的被试在预期想象作用下拖延行为的变化。结果表明：(1)在两组被试中,相比于无想象条件下的拖延行为,对任务过程的预期想象增强拖延行为,对任务结果的预期想象削弱拖延行为;(2)对任务不同成分的预期想象所引发的情绪与拖延行为的变化相关显著。这说明情绪和预期想象是影响拖延的重要因素,合理地操纵对任务不同成分的预期想象可以有效干预拖延行为。     

Temporal discounting of rewards in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) often show decision-making deficits in everyday circumstances. A failure to appropriately weigh immediate versus future consequences of choices may contribute to these deficits. We used the delay discounting task in individuals with BD or SZ to investigate their temporal decision making. Twenty-two individuals with BD, 21 individuals with SZ, and 30 healthy individuals completed the delay discounting task along with neuropsychological measures of working memory and cognitive function. Both BD and SZ groups discounted delayed rewards more steeply than did the healthy group even after controlling for current substance use, age, gender, and employment. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that discounting rate was associated with both diagnostic group and working memory or intelligence scores. In each group, working memory or intelligence scores negatively correlated with discounting rate. The results suggest that (a) both BD and SZ groups value smaller, immediate rewards more than larger, delayed rewards compared with the healthy group and (b) working memory or intelligence is related to temporal decision making in individuals with BD or SZ as well as in healthy individuals.     

拖延对工作绩效的影响——压力偏好与任务类型的调节作用

本研究探索了压力偏好和任务类型在拖延行为对绩效产生作用过程中的调节作用。用问卷调查的方法对155人进行调查。结果发现：相比偏好压力者,厌恶压力者的工作绩效更容易受到拖延行为的影响;对于复杂任务,拖延对偏好压力者的绩效影响显著低于对厌恶压力者;而对于简单任务,两种类型人的绩效的差别并不明显。结论是,偏好压力者能够减弱拖延行为对其工作绩效的影响,尤其对于复杂任务,这种影响更加明显。     

Perceptions of self-concept and self-presentation by procrastinators: further evidence

Two samples of university students completed self-report measures of chronic procrastination and either self-concept variables (Sample 1, n = 233) or self-presentational styles (Sample 2, n = 210). Results indicated that procrastination was significantly related to a self-concept of oneself as dominated by issues related to task performance, and to self-presentation strategies that reflected a person as continually justifying and excusing task delays and being "needy" of others' approval. It seems that men and women procrastinate in order to improve their social standing by making their accomplishments seem greater than they really are.     

“I’ll do it later”: Type of motivation,self-efficacy and homework procrastination

The aim of this study is to explore the role of motivation in the relations between self-efficacy and procrastination. One hundred seventy-one-fifth-grade students completed questionnaires that assessed the type of motivation the students have for homework, the level to which they procrastinate on doing homework, and their self-efficacy regarding homework. The results indicated that autonomous motivation both mediates and moderates the relations between self-efficacy and procrastination. These results highlight the importance of students’ type of motivation for homework, suggesting procrastination cannot be reduced simply by addressing students’ self-efficacy; but, they must be supported to adopt a more autonomous type of motivation.     

Examining children's ability to delay reward: Is the delay discounting task a suitable measure?

Discounting the value of delayed rewards has primarily been measured in children with the delay of gratification task and in adolescents and adults with the delay discounting task. In the present study, we assessed the suitability of the delay discounting task as a measure of temporal discounting in children. A sample of 7- to 9-year-olds (N = 98) completed a delay discounting task, a delay of gratification task, a sensation seeking measure, and IQ measures. In addition, teacher-based assessments of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder traits were measured. The results indicated that the majority of children produced meaningful data on the discounting task and discounted rewards hyperbolically. Children with an elevated risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder showed a trend towards discounting future rewards on the delay discounting task more steeply than did those at low risk. However, delay discounting was unrelated to either delay of gratification or sensation seeking. We interpret these results as providing some support for the use of delay discounting as a measure of intertemporal choice in children, although the results also suggest that delay discounting and delay of gratification tasks may tap different processes in this population.     

Decision theory,reinforcement learning,and the brain

Decision making is a core competence for animals and humans acting and surviving in environments they only partially comprehend, gaining rewards and punishments for their troubles. Decision-theoretic concepts permeate experiments and computational models in ethology, psychology, and neuroscience. Here, we review a well-known, coherent Bayesian approach to decision making, showing how it unifies issues in Markovian decision problems, signal detection psychophysics, sequential sampling, and optimal exploration and discuss paradigmatic psychological and neural examples of each problem. We discuss computational issues concerning what subjects know about their task and how ambitious they are in seeking optimal solutions; we address algorithmic topics concerning model-based and model-free methods for making choices; and we highlight key aspects of the neural implementation of decision making.