The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Executive Function: A Comparative Study Among Active, Passive, and Non-Procrastinating College Students

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to explore the effects of an aerobic exercise intervention on the executive functions of active, passive, and non-procrastinating college students. Methods: A total of 190 college students (36 male, 154 female, 19.56 ± 1.11 years old) with different types of procrastination were recruited from the first and second years of a university using the General Procrastination Scale and the Active Procrastination Scale. A 3 (procrastination type: active procrastination, passive procrastination, non-procrastination) × 2 (group: exercise group, control group) × 2 (measurement time: pre-test, post-test) mixed experimental design was employed. All participants attended regular physical education classes as usual, while the exercise group participated in an 8 week aerobic exercise program. Before and after the intervention, the inhibition, updating, and switching sub-functions of executive function were assessed. Results: (1) Active procrastinators and passive procrastinators showed significant differences in their inhibition scores, inhibition accuracy, updating scores, and updating accuracy (p p p p p p < 0.05). From the above findings, it is clear that the eight-week aerobic exercise intervention has shown improvement effects on the executive function of college students with different procrastination types, and the extent of the improvement in each sub-function of executive function varies depending on the type of procrastination. Conclusion: This study reveals the relationship between exercise and the development of the sub-functions of executive function in college students with procrastination, further validating the effectiveness and feasibility of implementing exercise interventions in real-world school settings.

Keywords

• aerobic exercise
• active procrastination
• passive procrastination
• non-procrastination
• executive function