For clinicians, therapists and coaches

The research behind Onzy

What the research found, how Onzy applies it, and the full references.

References checked against their sources on October 4, 2026.

Please read this first

These are findings from published research on motivation and behaviour change, mostly with students, workers or volunteers. Onzy's design is informed by this research. Onzy itself has not been clinically tested, is not a medical device, and does not diagnose or treat ADHD or any other condition.

The researchers named here are not connected with Onzy and have not reviewed or endorsed it.

Onzy's starting idea (a design choice, not a research finding)

For many people, knowing what to do is not the hard part. Starting is.

  1. 1Starting feels hard when a task feels unpleasant and its reward feels far away.

    What the research found

    Procrastination research links putting things off with tasks that feel unpleasant and with rewards that feel far away (Steel, 2007). Researchers also argue that putting a task off is often about managing a bad feeling in the moment, which is why the task feels hard to start (Sirois & Pychyl, 2013).

    Who was studied: Steel: a meta-analysis of 691 correlations (associations, not proof of cause). Sirois & Pychyl: a theoretical review.

    How Onzy applies it

    Onzy aims at the start. Break it down splits a task into small steps with the first one marked Start here, and Just 2 minutes lowers the bar to begin.

  2. 2Small, finishable steps build belief.

    What the research found

    Bandura proposed that actually succeeding at something (“performance accomplishments”, later called mastery experiences) is an especially influential source of the belief that you can do something similar again (Bandura, 1977).

    Who was studied: A theory paper drawing mostly on research with phobia treatment.

    How Onzy applies it

    Steps are sized so the first one can be finished, ideally today, and Onzy marks each finished piece and names what the person did.

  3. 3Seeing progress, even small progress, goes with better days.

    What the research found

    In a diary study of 238 knowledge workers at seven companies, days with a sense of making progress, even small progress, were also days of better mood and stronger motivation (Amabile & Kramer, 2011). A review of 138 randomised studies (about 20,000 people), mostly about health goals, found that keeping track of progress modestly helped people reach their goals, more so when progress was written down or reported to someone else (Harkin et al., 2016).

    Who was studied: Workplace diaries; randomised studies, mostly about health goals.

    How Onzy applies it

    Finished pieces are named right away and kept in a list of what the person has knocked out. Sharing is optional: Spotters see only the tasks the person chooses to share, and there is no leaderboard.

  4. 4In ADHD, nearer rewards tend to pull harder, on average.

    What the research found

    On average, people with ADHD choose smaller, sooner rewards over larger, later ones more often than people without ADHD, a medium-sized difference across studies that mostly used money-choice tasks (Jackson & MacKillop, 2016). It describes group averages, not any one person.

    Who was studied: A meta-analysis of case-control studies; about half children, half adults.

    How Onzy applies it

    Our interpretation, not a finding: in everyday terms, a far-off payoff may have less pull than a near one. So Onzy gives a small, immediate marker of progress as each piece is done, not only at the end.

  5. 5Unfinished goals pull at attention, and a plan helps.

    What the research found

    In student experiments, unfinished goals kept intruding on people’s thinking, and making a specific plan for the goal removed that interference (Masicampo & Baumeister, 2011). Planning ahead in an “if this happens, then I’ll do that” form helps people follow through on what they intend; across 94 tests the average effect was medium to large (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006), with the clearest benefit for goals that are hard to get started on (Gollwitzer, 1999).

    Who was studied: Lab experiments with students; a meta-analysis of 94 lab and field tests.

    How Onzy applies it

    Brain dump and Sort it into tasks turn what is on someone’s mind into next steps. Pick a date and Don’t let me forget give a task a when, with a reminder.

  6. 6Support helps most where the task happens.

    What the research found

    Russell Barkley, a leading ADHD researcher, argues that when the difficulty is doing what you already know rather than knowing what to do, support helps most at the time and place the task actually happens, not only in advice or sessions held somewhere else (Barkley, 2012; Barkley, n.d.).

    Who was studied: An expert clinical position on ADHD and executive function, not a trial.

    How Onzy applies it

    The coach lives inside the app, one tap from the task (I’m stuck), rather than in a separate session.

  7. 7A single missed day does not undo progress.

    What the research found

    In a study of 96 adults building a daily healthy habit, missing a single day did not meaningfully set back how automatic the habit became (Lally et al., 2010). The study looked at single missed days, not longer breaks, and the time to form a habit varied widely (from about 3 weeks to about 8 months).

    Who was studied: 96 volunteers, mostly postgraduate students, mean age 27.

    How Onzy applies it

    Onzy shows the number of days a person has shown up, which only goes up, so a missed day takes nothing away. Late tasks read Still open, not overdue.

  8. 8Choice, capability and connection.

    What the research found

    Self-determination theory proposes that motivation is healthier and more self-driven when people feel a sense of choice (autonomy), capability (competence) and connection to others (relatedness) (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Motivational interviewing, a counselling approach built on asking, listening and supporting a person’s choices rather than telling them what to do, aims to strengthen a person’s own reasons for change (Miller & Rollnick, 2023).

    Who was studied: A broad theory and review; a clinical method delivered by trained practitioners.

    How Onzy applies it

    The coach asks first, offers one idea, and the person chooses; steps from a single-task breakdown are added only when the person picks them. Onzy’s tone borrows from the spirit of motivational interviewing; it does not deliver motivational interviewing.

What this page does not claim

  • The studies above did not test Onzy or any app. They describe people in general, mostly group averages.
  • Onzy is support and coping for everyday tasks. It is not therapy and does not replace care from a professional.
  • If something a person types sounds like a crisis, the coach steps aside and shows 988 and other help. That is a safety net, not a crisis service.

References

  1. Amabile, T., & Kramer, S. (2011). The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Harvard Business Review Press.
  2. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
  3. Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.
  4. Barkley, R. A. (n.d.). The important role of executive functioning and self-regulation in ADHD [Fact sheet]. Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D., LLC. https://www.russellbarkley.org/factsheets/ADHD_EF_and_SR.pdf
  5. Gollwitzer, P. M. (1999). Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist, 54(7), 493–503. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493
  6. Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 38, pp. 69–119). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(06)38002-1
  7. Harkin, B., Webb, T. L., Chang, B. P. I., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I., Benn, Y., & Sheeran, P. (2016). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 142(2), 198–229. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000025
  8. Jackson, J. N. S., & MacKillop, J. (2016). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and monetary delay discounting: A meta-analysis of case-control studies. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 1(4), 316–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.01.007
  9. Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998–1009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
  10. Masicampo, E. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 667–683. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024192
  11. Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2023). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change and grow (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
  12. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
  13. Sirois, F., & Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the priority of short-term mood regulation: Consequences for future self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12011
  14. Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65

Questions, or would you like the longer design notes? Email hello@onzy.app. This page is checked again whenever Onzy changes how a feature works.