ProcrastinationNCT05730101
How to Help Students Overcome Academic Procrastination
A study testing Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) and Imaginary pill treatment (IP) in people with Procrastination, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate two different treatment methods in a sample of procrastinating students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Procrastination
- What is being tested?
- Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) and Imaginary pill treatment (IP)
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 115 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 31 Jan 2023to 22 Dec 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Male and female Bachelor's and Master's students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
- Age between 18 and 40
- Self-reported academic procrastination criterion is fulfilled (IPS value ≥ 29 points)
- Healthy by self-report statement (i.e., no known current physiological or psychological disorders, not taking medication, not in psychological/psychiatric treatment)
- Willing to participate in the study
- Sufficient German language skills to follow the instructions and participate in group sessions
Who cannot join
- Self-reported academic procrastination criteria not fulfilled: IPS < 29
- Any current psychological or physiological disease
- Current psychological or psychiatric treatment
- Current intake of psychotropic medication
- Insufficient German language skills to understand the instructions or discuss in group sessions
- Daily consumption of more than three alcoholic standard beverages (a standard alcoholic beverage is defined as either 3dl beer or 1dl wine or 2cl spirits)
- Regular drug consumption (THC, cocaine, heroin, etc.)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Switzerland1 site
University of Basel, Division of Clinical Psychologie and Psychotherapy, Faculty for Psychology
Basel, 4055
About this study
Official title: How to Help Students Overcome Academic Procrastination - Randomized-controlled Trial of Cognitive-behavioral Group and Imaginary Pills Treatment
The purpose of this study is to evaluate two different treatment methods in a sample of procrastinating students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. As first treatment, a cognitive-behavioral treatment has been chosen as these type of treatment already showed promising results in reducing students' procrastination behavior. The alternative to the more time-intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment is the application of imaginary pills to students suffering from procrastination.
This study evaluates the potential of the cognitive-behavioral and the imaginary pill treatment to reduce procrastination in a three-arm randomized controlled trial with parallel group between-subject design.
Read the detailed description
Procrastination can be defined as "to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay". Academic procrastination is limited to tasks and activities related to and/or relevant to learning and studying and manifests itself in consistently postponing studying for exams, submitting assignments late, and failing to register for classes in time. Despite the high prevalence of procrastination and the negative consequences on health and well-being, there is still no gold standard of treatment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate two different treatment methods in a sample of procrastinating students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. As first treatment, a cognitive-behavioral treatment has been chosen as these type of treatment already showed promising results in reducing students' procrastination behavior. The alternative to the more time-intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment is the application of imaginary pills to students suffering from procrastination.
This study evaluates the potential of the cognitive-behavioral and the imaginary pill treatment to reduce procrastination in a three-arm randomized controlled trial with parallel group between-subject design.
- Conditions
- Procrastination
- Being tested
- Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), Imaginary pill treatment (IP)
- Keywords
- Academic procrastination, imaginary pill treatment, cognitive-behavioral treatment
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT)Other
In the first individual session (CBT1), together with the therapist, participants develop a behavioral and conditional model of their procrastination behavior. In the next 2 group sessions (CBT2 and CBT3), participants receive psychoeducation on procrastination. The focus is on learning the method of starting on time. In the third group session (CBT4), participants identify key procrastination-promoting thoughts and are supported to develop alternative thoughts; deepened in the second individual session (CBT5). In the next 2 group sessions (CBT 6 and CBT7), participants are informed about action planning with focus on learning to plan realistically. The last group session is a concluding session: Experiences with the methods learned and an outlook on further steps and goals are discussed. At the end of both individual sessions (CBT1 and CBT5), participants receive a link to an online survey to rate their treatment expectations (treatment expectation 1 and 2).
Imaginary pill treatment (IP)Other
In the first session (IP1), participants will be asked about the nature of their procrastination behavior and receive a procedure to take an imaginary pill following a rationale of 5 steps. In the second IP session (IP2), experiences with taking the IP are discussed and the procedure of taking the IP is adapted according to previous experiences and current needs. The rationale of the second session encompasses the same five steps with small modifications: 1) discussing IP sensitive problem and adapting it if necessary, 2) building trust/belief/reality of the IP, 3) discussing the personally meaningful IP and adapting it if necessary, 4) taking the IP, 5) adapting the procedure for self-administering the IP in real life on daily basis if necessary and building adherence. At the end of both sessions, participants receive a link to an online survey to rate their treatment expectations (treatment expectation 1 and 2).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| No treatment waitlist group | No intervention | Participants receive neither cognitive-behavioral nor imaginary pill treatment and are told that they are in the no treatment waitlist group. They are told that they can receive one of the treatments at the end of the study. The treatment they receive will be chosen based on study results. |
| Cognitive-behavioral treatment group (CBT) | Active comparator | Participants receive two individual and six group sessions with a therapist following the treatment manual "Prokrastination". Receives: Other: Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) |
| Imaginary pill treatment group (IP) | Active comparator | In accordance with the imaginary pill technique, participants are instructed to take an imaginary pill. This instruction consists of a procedure including five steps (i.e., 1) identifying the IP sensitive problem, 2) building trust/belief/reality of the IP, 3) constructing a personally meaningful IP, 4) taking the IP, 5) suggestions for self-administering the IP in real life and building adherence. The session is repeated with small modifications seven weeks later. Receives: Other: Imaginary pill treatment (IP) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in German version of the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)
Assessment of academic procrastination level: The IPS measures the degree of irrational delay causing procrastination. The German version of the IPS consists of nine questions, e.g. "I put things off so long that my well-being or efficiency unnecessarily suffers". Participants can respond on a 5-point scale ranging from 1="never" to 5="always/constantly".
Measured: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in Academic Procrastination State Inventory (APSI)
Assessment of academic procrastination level: The APSI consists of 23 item, all referring to fluctuations in academic procrastination, behavior and thoughts and participants have to rate the frequency of engaging in the items in the previous week on a five point Likert scale ranging from 1="never" to 5="always".
Measured: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Secondary outcomes (4)
Change in Patient HealthQuestionnaire (PHQ-9)
Depressive symptoms are assessed with the Patient HealthQuestionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 features nine items (e.g. "Little interest or enjoyment of your activities") to be rated on a four-point Likert scale (0="not at all" to 3="nearly every day").
Measured: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 (GAD-7)
Anxiety is assessed with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7. It involves seven items assessing anxiety and excessive worry (e.g. "Feeling afraid as if something awful might happen") to be rated on a 4-point Likert scale (0="not at all" to 4="nearly every day").
Measured: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in World Health Organization (WHO) Well-Being Index (WHO-5)
Subjective psychological well-being is assessed with the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Items (e..g. "I have felt cheerful and in good spirits") are rated from 0="at no time" to 5="all the time".
Measured: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in the German version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
Stress is assessed with the German version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). 10 items assess the degree to which life has been experienced as unpredictable, uncontrollable and overwhelming (e.g. "In the last two weeks, how often have you felt nervous and stressed?"), rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (0="never" to 4="very often").
Measured: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Feb 2023
- Study start31 Jan 2023
- Primary completion22 Dec 2024
- Study completion22 Dec 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ProcrastinationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- three-arm randomized controlled trial with parallel group between-subject design
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 115 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Nadja Heimgartner, lic. phil., Principal investigator, University of Basel, Division of Clinical Psychologie and Psychotherapy, Faculty for Psychology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05730101
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 024-22-01; ub23Heimgartner
- Status last verified
- Apr 2025
- First submitted
- 27 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 29 Apr 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Apr 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- How to Help Students Overcome Academic Procrastination - Randomized-controlled Trial of Cognitive-behavioral Group and Imaginary Pills Treatment
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05730101
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 024-22-01; ub23Heimgartner
- Conditions
- Procrastination
- Keywords
- Academic procrastination, imaginary pill treatment, cognitive-behavioral treatment
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 115 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Dec 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate two different treatment methods in a sample of procrastinating students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. As first treatment, a cognitive-behavioral treatment has been chosen as these type of treatment already showed promising results in reducing students' procrastination behavior. The alternative to the more time-intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment is the application of imaginary pills to students suffering from procrastination.
This study evaluates the potential of the cognitive-behavioral and the imaginary pill treatment to reduce procrastination in a three-arm randomized controlled trial with parallel group between-subject design.
Detailed description
Procrastination can be defined as "to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay". Academic procrastination is limited to tasks and activities related to and/or relevant to learning and studying and manifests itself in consistently postponing studying for exams, submitting assignments late, and failing to register for classes in time. Despite the high prevalence of procrastination and the negative consequences on health and well-being, there is still no gold standard of treatment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate two different treatment methods in a sample of procrastinating students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. As first treatment, a cognitive-behavioral treatment has been chosen as these type of treatment already showed promising results in reducing students' procrastination behavior. The alternative to the more time-intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment is the application of imaginary pills to students suffering from procrastination.
This study evaluates the potential of the cognitive-behavioral and the imaginary pill treatment to reduce procrastination in a three-arm randomized controlled trial with parallel group between-subject design.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- three-arm randomized controlled trial with parallel group between-subject design
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| No treatment waitlist group | No intervention | –Participants receive neither cognitive-behavioral nor imaginary pill treatment and are told that they are in the no treatment waitlist group. They are told that they can receive one of the treatments at the end of the study. The treatment they receive will be chosen based on study results. |
| Cognitive-behavioral treatment group (CBT) | Active comparator | Other: Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT)Participants receive two individual and six group sessions with a therapist following the treatment manual "Prokrastination". |
| Imaginary pill treatment group (IP) | Active comparator | Other: Imaginary pill treatment (IP)In accordance with the imaginary pill technique, participants are instructed to take an imaginary pill. This instruction consists of a procedure including five steps (i.e., 1) identifying the IP sensitive problem, 2) building trust/belief/reality of the IP, 3) constructing a personally meaningful IP, 4) taking the IP, 5) suggestions for self-administering the IP in real life and building adherence. The session is repeated with small modifications seven weeks later. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Male and female Bachelor's and Master's students of the University of Basel and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
- Age between 18 and 40
- Self-reported academic procrastination criterion is fulfilled (IPS value ≥ 29 points)
- Healthy by self-report statement (i.e., no known current physiological or psychological disorders, not taking medication, not in psychological/psychiatric treatment)
- Willing to participate in the study
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Self-reported academic procrastination criteria not fulfilled: IPS < 29
- Any current psychological or physiological disease
- Current psychological or psychiatric treatment
- Current intake of psychotropic medication
- Insufficient German language skills to understand the instructions or discuss in group sessions
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT)In the first individual session (CBT1), together with the therapist, participants develop a behavioral and conditional model of their procrastination behavior. In the next 2 group sessions (CBT2 and CBT3), participants receive psychoeducation on procrastination. The focus is on learning the method of starting on time. In the third group session (CBT4), participants identify key procrastination-promoting thoughts and are supported to develop alternative thoughts; deepened in the second individual session (CBT5). In the next 2 group sessions (CBT 6 and CBT7), participants are informed about action planning with focus on learning to plan realistically. The last group session is a concluding session: Experiences with the methods learned and an outlook on further steps and goals are discussed. At the end of both individual sessions (CBT1 and CBT5), participants receive a link to an online survey to rate their treatment expectations (treatment expectation 1 and 2). | Other | Cognitive-behavioral treatment group (CBT) |
| Imaginary pill treatment (IP)In the first session (IP1), participants will be asked about the nature of their procrastination behavior and receive a procedure to take an imaginary pill following a rationale of 5 steps. In the second IP session (IP2), experiences with taking the IP are discussed and the procedure of taking the IP is adapted according to previous experiences and current needs. The rationale of the second session encompasses the same five steps with small modifications: 1) discussing IP sensitive problem and adapting it if necessary, 2) building trust/belief/reality of the IP, 3) discussing the personally meaningful IP and adapting it if necessary, 4) taking the IP, 5) adapting the procedure for self-administering the IP in real life on daily basis if necessary and building adherence. At the end of both sessions, participants receive a link to an online survey to rate their treatment expectations (treatment expectation 1 and 2). | Other | Imaginary pill treatment group (IP) |
Primary outcome
Change in German version of the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS)
Time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Assessment of academic procrastination level: The IPS measures the degree of irrational delay causing procrastination. The German version of the IPS consists of nine questions, e.g. "I put things off so long that my well-being or efficiency unnecessarily suffers". Participants can respond on a 5-point scale ranging from 1="never" to 5="always/constantly".
Change in Academic Procrastination State Inventory (APSI)
Time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Assessment of academic procrastination level: The APSI consists of 23 item, all referring to fluctuations in academic procrastination, behavior and thoughts and participants have to rate the frequency of engaging in the items in the previous week on a five point Likert scale ranging from 1="never" to 5="always".
4 secondary outcomes
Change in Patient HealthQuestionnaire (PHQ-9)
Time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7 (GAD-7)
Time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in World Health Organization (WHO) Well-Being Index (WHO-5)
Time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Change in the German version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)
Time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Apr 2025.
Related trials for Procrastination
Not yet recruiting
Impact of Slavin's Effective Teaching Model on Procrastination in Nursing Students: a Quasi-Experimental Study
Procrastination, Educational Intervention
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Nadja Heimgartner, lic. phil. principal investigator
University of Basel, Division of Clinical Psychologie and Psychotherapy, Faculty for Psychology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) and Imaginary pill treatment (IP) in people with Procrastination, run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Apr 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in German version of the Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS) (time frame: At baseline (t0 = week 1), week 9 (t1), week 16 (t2), and week 42 (t4)). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Apr 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.