Neural basis responsible for emotion regulation association with procrastination: Right dlPFC functional connectivity with left insula

Abstract

Abstract Procrastination, an irrational delay of intended action, leads to numerous adverse effects in many life domains, such as low academic performance, poor mental health and financial distress. Previous studies have revealed a substantial negative correlation between emotional regulation and procrastination. However, it still remains unclear about the neural basis for the association between emotion regulation and procrastination. Therefore, we employed the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods to explore the neural substrates underlying how emotion regulation responsible for procrastination (N = 243). In line with our hypothesis, the results showed a strong negative correlation between emotion regulation and procrastination (r =-0.39). The VBM analysis showed that emotion regulation was positively correlated with gray matter (GM) volumes in the right dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Next, the RSFC results indicated that dlPFC-insula functional connectivity was positively associated with emotion regulation. Furthermore, the mediation analysis showed that emotion regulation mediated the relationship between the dlPFC-insula functional connectivity and procrastination. The current findings suggest that the neural pathway related to cognitive control over aversive emotion may responsible for the close relationship between emotion regulation and procrastination, which provides a novel perspective for explaining the tight association between emotion regulation and procrastination.