A Closed-Loop Behavioural Recalibration System for Reducing Maladaptive Coping and Procrastination in Young Adults

This preprint introduces the Break The Barrier (BTB) Adaptive Functioning System, an engineering-informed behavioural framework designed to explain procrastination and maladaptive coping as prediction-driven regulation processes rather than simple failures of motivation or discipline. The model proposes that individuals often disengage not because tasks are objectively unmanageable, but because the nervous system overestimates the anticipated internal cost of engagement prior to action. Drawing from systems engineering principles, behavioural regulation theory, and exposure-based learning mechanisms, the framework introduces the concept of Predicted Internal Cost (P(T)) and the Misclassification Index (MI) to model the discrepancy between anticipated discomfort and actual experienced load during sustained engagement. Preliminary cohort-based observations suggest that behavioural disengagement may originate within a pre-escalation phase where internal activation is misinterpreted as a signal to withdraw. The BTB framework is positioned as a non-clinical, early-intervention behavioural system intended to support engagement stability in high cognitive-load environments such as universities and early-career settings. By targeting behavioural instability before escalation occurs, the framework aims to contribute to improved task initiation, reduced avoidance behaviour, sustained engagement, and long-term productivity outcomes. This work is presented as an early-stage conceptual and observational framework intended to support future empirical validation and broader interdisciplinary discussion.