Scientists have found an explanation for procrastination

Scientists from Kyoto University have studied the work of macaque brains and discovered a kind of "motivation brake" that may be responsible for procrastination — the tendency to delay doing things. This was reported on January 9 by the BBC Science Focus magazine.

In the course of experiments, scientists have identified a neural circuit that prevents stressful or unpleasant tasks from starting. When the researchers temporarily disrupted this circuit, the monkeys became noticeably more willing to complete tasks for the sake of receiving a reward, even if they were accompanied by moderately unpleasant sensations.

As the authors explained, the "motivation brake" includes two areas of the brain — the ventral striatum (BC) and the ventral pallidum (VP), located in the deep parts of the brain closer to the frontal zones. The ventral striatum is involved in evaluating reward and motivation, for example, it helps to decide whether to go out in the rain to get milk so as not to go without breakfast. This information is then transmitted to the ventral pallidum, which either triggers the action or blocks it.

If the task seems too stressful, the SUN "informs" the VP that it is better to postpone it. This is exactly what scientists observed when they trained macaques to perform two rewarded tasks, one of which was accompanied by an unpleasant airflow in the face. The monkeys started the task almost immediately without discomfort, while the second one was often postponed.

In the next step, the researchers applied the method of chemogenetics, temporarily weakening the connection between the ventral striatum and the ventral pallidum. After that, macaques became much more willing to start tasks, even knowing about the unpleasant effects.

According to scientists, this confirms that the VS–VP chain regulates the ability to motivate oneself to perform complex and stressful tasks. It is specified that in the future such knowledge can help in the development of methods of treatment of motivation disorders, including depression, when it is difficult for people to cope even with everyday tasks. However, the researchers emphasize that interfering with this mechanism requires great care.

The lead author of the study, Kenichi Amemori, associate professor of neuroscience at Kyoto University, drew attention to the fact that excessive weakening of the motivation brake can lead to dangerous behavior or excessive risk. He added that additional research and ethical discussions are needed before such approaches can be applied to understand how and when such interventions may be acceptable.

Ekaterina Artemenko, a practicing psychologist, Gestalt therapist and supervisor, community director of the Clear service, in an interview with Izvestia on December 5, 2024, named the causes of the phenomenon of life postponement. According to her, in the world of activism, it is important to recognize the value of existing stability. The specialist noted that attempts to force oneself to act through force are ineffective due to ignoring the true needs of the individual.

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