Why wait? MRI reveals why some people tend to procrastinate

Using MRI technology, researchers found that individuals who have a weaker connection between two regions of the brain are more likely to procrastinate, according to an article published Aug. 23 by Newsweek.  

From a 264-person cohort, Researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany found individuals who are more likely to procrastinate have weaker connections between the amygdala and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, the two parts of the brain responsible for motor control and cognition.  

Study participants complete a survey that measured their ability to control actions. The researchers then measured the size of the brain regions and the connections between them via MRI.

“Individuals with a higher amygdala volume may be more anxious about the negative consequences of an action—they tend to hesitate and put off things," study author Erhan Genç, PhD, a professor of behavioral neuroscience at Ruhr University Bochum, told Newsweek. "Due to a low functional connection between amygdala and dorsal ACC, this effect may be augmented, as interfering negative emotions and alternative actions might not be sufficiently regulated.”  

See the full article from Newsweek below: