Episode Details
Back to Episodes“RCT Results: 3 Hours of Procrastination Coaching Produced 68% Remission in 4 Weeks” by John Salter
Description
TL;DR: A recently completed RCT found that a brief, structured procrastination coaching programme produced large reductions in severity and high remission rates. The EA Infrastructure Fund has funded 200 free places on the same programme for EAs. If you want one, take the screening test here.
Background
Chronic procrastination affects roughly 20% of adults, costing them both income (tens of thousands per year) and wellbeing (94% report lower happiness), and doubling their odds of unemployment.
Yet it receives almost no clinical attention, research funding, or institutional support relative to its prevalence. No charities are dedicated to it. Health services don't cover treatment. The handful of researchers who study it note that it is among the most neglected problems in applied psychology relative to its scale of harm.
EAs appear disproportionately affected. In a survey where EAs ranked ~50 mental health challenges they personally experience, procrastination ranked third.
The RCT
Intervention:
Three hours (4 x 45-minute) of specialised one-to-one coaching delivered over four weeks.
Sample:
117 participants across 25 countries enrolled. 114 included in the analysis (3 withdrew after enrolment). Roughly a third were recruited via the EA Forum, making this one of the more generalisable studies for this community.
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Outline:
(00:35) Background
(01:34) The RCT
(01:38) Intervention:
(01:49) Sample:
(02:10) Results (post-intervention → one-month follow-up):
(03:09) Replication:
(03:22) Caveats and Conflicts of Interest
(04:06) The 200 Free Places
(04:26) The process is two steps:
(04:42) Take the screening assessment →
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First published:
March 15th, 2026
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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.
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