The Neural Basis Linking Achievement Motivation With Procrastination: Left Precuneus Connectivity With Right Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Abstract

Procrastination adversely affects individual’s learning, working, health, and well-being, which troubles many people around the world. Previous studies have indicated that people with higher achievement motivation tend to have less procrastination. However, how achievement motivation is linked with procrastination at the neural level is still poorly understood. Here, we adopted the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) methods to study this issue. The VBM analysis revealed that higher achievement motivation was correlated with larger gray matter volumes in left precuneus (lPre). Furthermore, the RSFC results showed that the functional connectivity between lPre and right anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) was positively associated with achievement motivation and negatively correlated with procrastination. More importantly, a mediation analysis demonstrated that achievement motivation fully mediated the relation between lPre–rACC connectivity and procrastination. These findings suggested that lPre–rACC coupling might be the neural correlate underlying the association between achievement motivation and procrastination.