Procrastination is an all too well known problem, including for students in higher education. A recent meta-analysis of the published literature (Eerde & Klinkgsiek, 2018) looked at 24 studies on procrastination. The goal was two-fold. First, they wanted to assess whether people can reduce their level of procrastination. Secondly, they analyzed the literature to see which kind of intervention is the most effective.
They compared four different types of interventions: Self-regulation, cognitive behavioral therapy, other therapeutic approaches, and interventions focusing on individuals’ strengths and resources. A large reduction in procrastination after the interventions was found, and the effects remained stable in follow-up assessments. The findings so far suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy reduced procrastination more strongly than the other types of interventions. Other moderator variables, such as the duration of the intervention, had no significant effects.