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PaperProcrastination

An automatic computer coach worked about as well as a human coach online

Who it’s about: Students

A curly-haired student in a checked jacket strides on a wooden block beside a small wind-up toy holding a lantern.
  1. No difference

    Ready-made notes from a computer coach worked about as well as notes a real coach wrote for each student.

    Randomised trial of 233 German university students who put things off · vs the same course with a human coach · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out

  2. No comparison

    After 12 weeks of weekly online lessons and a daily diary, students said they put things off less. There was no untreated group to compare with.

    Randomised trial of 233 German university students who put things off · no comparison group · they rated themselves · ⚠ many people dropped out

The study

Who took part

233 university students in Germany who scored high for putting things off. They were about 26 on average, and 6 in 10 were women.

What they did

Both groups did the same online course of five weekly lessons. They also had weekly challenges and kept a daily diary about putting things off. One group was guided by an automatic computer coach that gave the same ready-made feedback to everyone. The other group was guided by a psychologist who wrote personal feedback.

What happened

Both groups said they put things off less over 12 weeks, and by about the same amount. The automatic coach did not do worse than the human one. About 64 in 100 people dropped out, and only about a third finished most of the lessons.

Source

StudiCare procrastination - Randomized controlled non-inferiority trial of a persuasive design-optimized internet- and mobile-based intervention with digital coach targeting procrastination in college students (2023)

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01312-1

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