Help Students Make Better Decisions
By Understanding
The Neuroscience Of Procrastination
Introduction(s)
Procrastination in Neuroscience Terms
Increase Student Achievement
References & Terms
Dianne Garrett
Faculty, Bryan School of Business and Economics
www.uncg.edu
drgarret@uncg.edu
PROCRASTINATION IN
NEUROSCIENCE TERMS
Procrastination is a self-regulation failure.
Subcomponents
Dr. Piers Steel
Dr. Ferrari & Dr. Baumesiter
• Expectancy
• Negative emotion
• Value
• Short-term over long-term
• Impulsiveness
• Learned
• Time (Concrete)
• Stressed
• Glucose weak
• Lack of sleep?
Limbic
cognitive
Low Road & High Road Message Pathways
Dr. Evian Gordon
Decrease THREAT
What can you
do to decrease
the THREAT in
your classroom
learning
environment?
INCREASE STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
What can you do promote self-regulation?
Increase Negative Feeling Awareness
Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Classroom Application
• The first day of class & in
the syllabus. I talk about
this, at minimum, every
time I give an assignment
back.
• “That’s all normal.’
Increase Reward
Dopamine
Classroom Application
• Make them want (feel good).
• Increase value.
• NO is yes.
• Start with a problem to solve.
• Start with novelty. Create
curiosity.
• Reward what you want
replicated.
• Reward with status,
autonomy, certainty,
relatedness, fairness
Elevate Value
Connect to the Important
Classroom Application
• Communication is in
everything – day one.
• This is important
because…
• Physical reminders
• Build associations
Elevate Expectancy
Learned Helplessness
Classroom Application
• I can’t write ‘yet.’
• Can make a good grade
in this class – I’ve set you
up on day one.
• What gets rewarded, gets
repeated.
• Positive self-talk
Decrease Impulsiveness.
Basal Ganglia
Classroom Application
• Create routines for them.
• Give them a plan and stay
•
•
•
•
to the plan.
Model the way.
Relationship support
Long-term visual
(environmental)
reminders.
Teenage brain
Increase Pre-decision
Prefrontal Cortex: Planning/Goals
Classroom Application
• If, then statements
• Problem First
• Clustering
• Strategy session
• Plan in the am (Prefrontal
cortex gets tired easy.)
• Have planning resources
Be concrete instead of abstract.
Be Certain.
Neuroscience
Classroom Application
• Assignment turn in dates
•
•
•
•
– sooner rather than later.
Clustering – How do you
organize Blackboard
Are your stories ‘real?’
Be concrete about the
process too.
This is how to do it. Fill in
the gaps for them.
Increase Relatedness
Neuroscience: Oxytocin
Classroom Application
• Be kind – watch your own
•
•
•
•
•
THREAT states.
Know the names of
everyone in class
Group activities in class
and out
Mirror neurons
Eagles fly with eagles
Student models
Strengthen Associations
Cells that Wire together, Wire
Together
Classroom Application
• Asking students to reflect
•
•
•
•
engages PFC.
Round robin/takeaways
Assignments that cause
associations in the brain.
Help them see value
Link for them.
Increase Willpower
Right Ventral Prefrontal Cortex
• Don’t multi-task
• Take breaks
• Drink water
• Decide 3 things (in am)
ONLY on what has to be
done that day.
Increase Wellness
Decision Fatigue
Classroom Application
• Pre-decision is key.
• If then
• Read Decision Fatigue
article . Assignment with
the information. Then
make references to it all
term.
Let’s keep talking….
drgarret@uncg.edu
References
•
Dr. Piers Steel, University of Calgary
http://haskayne.ucalgary.ca/profiles/piers-steel
•
Dr. Roy Baumesiter, Florida State University
http://www.psy.fsu.edu/faculty/baumeister.dp.html
•
Dr. David Rock, Co-founder of the NeuroLeadership Institute, Owner of The Neuroleadership Group
http://www.neuroleadership.com/global/home
•
Dr. Joseph Ferrari, DePaul University
http://condor.depaul.edu/jferrari/
•
Dr. Timothy Pychyl, Carleton University
http://http-server.carleton.ca/~tpychyl/
Dr. Evian Gordon, Dr Evian Gordon is Scientific Chairman and Founding Director of The Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead
Hospital, CEO and Chairman of Brain Resource Company, Director of BRAINnet.net and Adjunct Associate
Professor at University of Sydney, Department of Psychiatry
________________________________________________________
Garrett. D (2012). The Relationship of Decision Fatigue to Procrastination.
http://winoverprocrastination.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @Dianne_Garrett
Terms
Prefrontal Cortex
Executive Center – planning, prioritizing,
inhibition,
Right Ventral Prefrontal
Cortex
PFC inhibition
Limbic System
Emotional Center
Basal Ganglia
Habit recording Center(s)
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter (and hormone) that is the
energy for want
Oxytocin
Hormone for bonding and trust
establishment
Mirror Neurons
Neurons that cause learning through doing
what another is doing