情绪调节改善拖延行为的认知机制：任务厌恶中介作用

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2024.00458

摘要/Abstract

摘要：

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。

关键词: 拖延, 任务厌恶, 结果效用, 情绪调节, 拖延的时间决策模型

Abstract:

Previous research has shown that using adaptive emotion-regulation strategies, particularly cognitive reappraisal, can help reduce procrastination. However, the precise cognitive mechanisms underlying the impact of emotion regulation on procrastination remain unclear. The temporal decision model of procrastination posits that procrastination is primarily influenced by the tradeoff between task aversiveness and outcome utility. When task aversiveness surpasses outcome utility, individuals are more likely to procrastinate, whereas when outcome utility outweighs task aversiveness, immediate action is more probable. Consequently, emotion regulation could reduce procrastination by diminishing task aversiveness or by improving outcome utility.

To investigate this issue, based on Gross’s emotion regulation theory and the temporal decision model of procrastination, this research focuses on individuals exhibiting high levels of procrastination (as measured by the General Procrastination Scale, with scores above 67.5). These participants were divided into two groups: the positive reappraisal group (consisting of 34 individuals) and the ineffective strategy group (also consisting of 34 individuals). Over a period of 7 days, the two groups were longitudinally tracked through empirical sampling, resulting in a total of 14 data collection points.

The results showed that: (1) There was no notable disparity between the two groups in task executive willingness during the pre-test, while the positive reappraisal group demonstrated a significantly higher task executive willingness compared to the ineffective strategy group in the post-test, indicating that positive reappraisal significantly enhanced individuals’ task executive willingness. (2) No significant difference was observed in task aversiveness between the two groups during the pre-test, while the positive reappraisal group exhibited noticeably lower levels of task aversiveness compared to the ineffective strategy group in the post-test. Additionally, initial outcome utility levels did not differ significantly between the two groups, while the positive reappraisal group demonstrated significantly higher outcome utility compared to the ineffective strategy group in the post-test. (3) Mediation analysis indicated that the reduction of task aversiveness mediated the influence of emotion regulation on the degree of improvement in procrastination (that is, the increase in task executive willingness), whereas the increase of outcome utility did not mediate the impact of emotion regulation on the degree of improvement in procrastination (that is, the increase in task executive willingness).

These findings suggest that emotion regulation mainly enhance individuals’ task executive willingness by diminishing task aversiveness, thereby reducing procrastination behavior. This offers a strong theoretical foundation for interventions targeting procrastination through the lens of emotional regulation.

Key words: procrastination, task aversiveness, outcome utility, emotion regulation, the temporal decision model of procrastination

中图分类号:

B842

童廷婷, 白幼玲, 冯廷勇. (2024). 情绪调节改善拖延行为的认知机制：任务厌恶中介作用. 心理学报, 56(4), 458-468.

TONG Tingting, BAI Youling, FENG Tingyong. (2024). The cognitive mechanism of reducing procrastination by emotion regulation: The mediation role of task aversiveness. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 56(4), 458-468.

图/表 7

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变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 34)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 34)	t	df	p	差值95%置信区间
变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 34)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 34)	t	df	p	下限	上限
年龄	19.82 ± 1.49	20.18 ± 1.45	−0.99	66	0.325	−1.063	0.357
特质拖延	75.03 ± 4.98	73.00 ± 3.83	1.89	66	0.064	−0.121	4.179
情绪调节能力	117.82 ± 19.78	115.94 ± 18.73	0.40	66	0.688	−7.445	11.209
基础情绪_积极	22.38 ± 3.75	21.18 ± 3.49	1.37	66	0.174	−0.547	2.959
基础情绪_消极	20.41 ± 4.82	19.94 ± 4.27	0.43	66	0.671	−1.734	2.675

变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 34)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 34)	t	df	p	差值95%置信区间
变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 34)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 34)	t	df	p	下限	上限
年龄	19.82 ± 1.49	20.18 ± 1.45	−0.99	66	0.325	−1.063	0.357
特质拖延	75.03 ± 4.98	73.00 ± 3.83	1.89	66	0.064	−0.121	4.179
情绪调节能力	117.82 ± 19.78	115.94 ± 18.73	0.40	66	0.688	−7.445	11.209
基础情绪_积极	22.38 ± 3.75	21.18 ± 3.49	1.37	66	0.174	−0.547	2.959
基础情绪_消极	20.41 ± 4.82	19.94 ± 4.27	0.43	66	0.671	−1.734	2.675

变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 102)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 102)	t	df	p	差值95%置信区间
变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 102)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 102)	t	df	p	下限	上限
任务截止日期	35.10 ± 27.19	38.62 ± 29.91	−0.88	202	0.380	−11.411	4.372
任务厌恶	−5.81 ± 1.65	−5.56 ± 1.88	−1.03	202	0.304	−0.743	0.233
结果效用	6.94 ± 2.33	6.81 ± 2.62	0.37	202	0.714	−0.557	0.812
执行意愿	2.05 ± 1.67	2.42 ± 2.17	−1.37	189.62	0.172	−0.908	0.163

变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 102)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 102)	t	df	p	差值95%置信区间
变量	积极重评组 M ± SD (n = 102)	无效策略组 M ± SD (n = 102)	t	df	p	下限	上限
任务截止日期	35.10 ± 27.19	38.62 ± 29.91	−0.88	202	0.380	−11.411	4.372
任务厌恶	−5.81 ± 1.65	−5.56 ± 1.88	−1.03	202	0.304	−0.743	0.233
结果效用	6.94 ± 2.33	6.81 ± 2.62	0.37	202	0.714	−0.557	0.812
执行意愿	2.05 ± 1.67	2.42 ± 2.17	−1.37	189.62	0.172	−0.908	0.163

自变量	估计	95%置信区间	t	显著性	AIC	BIC
截距	0.44	[−1.295, 2.168]	0.92	0.440	848.94	872.17
任务厌恶降低量	0.39	[0.292, 0.494]	7.71	< 0.001***
结果效用提升量	0.23	[0.090, 0.370]	3.25	0.001**