A cognitive mindfulness intervention using virtual reality and artificial intelligence for academic procrastination: A pilot waitlist randomised controlled trial

  • Samantha Banbury orcid

    School of Psychology, London Metropolitan University, London N7 8DB, UK
  • Olaide Phillips orcid

    School of Psychology, London Metropolitan University, London N7 8DB, UK
  • Chris Chandler

    School of Psychology, London Metropolitan University, London N7 8DB, UK
  • Javier del Rio Olvera

    Department of Psychology, Cadiz University, Puerto Real, 11519 Cadiz, Spain
Article ID: 4547
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/apr4547
Keywords: immersive VR cognitive mindfulness, AI mindfulness app, academic procrastination, academic engagement, self-efficacy, perceived academic stress

Abstract

Research examining the role of mindfulness in addressing academic procrastination and engagement is gaining momentum. However, registered trials remain sparse, particularly those employing immersive virtual reality (VR). This study evaluated 30 university students in a waitlist-controlled randomised trial (WLC-RCT) featuring active and delayed intervention groups, combined with a content analysis of qualitative participant feedback. Participants engaged in a weekly 25-min cognitive mindfulness VR intervention over four weeks, supplemented by an independent AI-based mindfulness application between sessions. Quantitative measures of perceived academic stress, academic self-efficacy, academic engagement, cognitive mindfulness, academic procrastination, and physiological heart rate were collected at Weeks 0, 4, and 12. The mixed-design analyses revealed a significant Time × Group interaction effect uniquely for cognitive mindfulness (p < 0.05), reflecting earlier improvements in the active group at Week 4 and comparable cognitive mindfulness scores in the delayed group following receipt of the intervention at Week 12. Significant main effects of time suggested that both groups achieved comparable improvements from baseline to Week 12 across all remaining outcomes (p < 0.05). Specifically, academic procrastination and perceived academic stress were significantly reduced, while academic self-efficacy and academic engagement significantly increased. Average heart rate also systematically decreased within both cohorts across successive intervention sessions. Content analysis of qualitative feedback aligned with these findings, revealing that the VR platform was perceived as highly engaging and motivating, while simultaneously expanding participants’ reflective awareness of their procrastination habits. Although these preliminary findings require replication in larger-scale longitudinal trials, they suggest possible psychological and physiological benefits of integrating immersive cognitive mindfulness VR and AI-based applications within educational settings to mitigate student procrastination and foster long-term academic engagement.

Published
2026-08-17
How to Cite
Banbury, S., Phillips, O., Chandler, C., & Olvera, J. del R. (2026). A cognitive mindfulness intervention using virtual reality and artificial intelligence for academic procrastination: A pilot waitlist randomised controlled trial. Applied Psychology Research, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.59400/apr4547
Issue
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026)
Section
Article

Copyright (c) 2026 Samantha Banbury, Olaide Phillips, Chris Chandler, Javier del Rio Olvera

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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