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Zanesco AP, Van Dam NT, Denkova E, Jha AP. Measuring mind wandering with experience sampling during task performance: An item response theory investigation. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:7707-7727. [PMID: 39048861 PMCID: PMC11362314 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02446-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The tendency for individuals to mind wander is often measured using experience sampling methods in which probe questions embedded within computerized cognitive tasks attempt to catch episodes of off-task thought at random intervals during task performance. However, mind-wandering probe questions and response options are often chosen ad hoc and vary between studies with extant little guidance as to the psychometric consequences of these methodological decisions. In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of several common approaches for assessing mind wandering using methods from item response theory (IRT). IRT latent modeling demonstrated that measurement information was generally distributed across the range of trait estimates according to when probes were presented in time. Probes presented earlier in time provided more information about individuals with greater tendency to mind wandering than probes presented later. Furthermore, mind-wandering ratings made on a continuous scale or using multiple categorical rating options provided more information about individuals' latent mind-wandering tendency - across a broader range of the trait continuum - than ratings dichotomized into on-task and off-task categories. In addition, IRT provided evidence that reports of "task-related thoughts" contribute to the task-focused dimension of the construct continuum, providing justification for studies conceptualizing these responses as a kind of task-related focus. Together, we hope these findings will help guide researchers hoping to maximize the measurement precision of their mind wandering assessment procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony P Zanesco
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
| | - Nicholas T Van Dam
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ekaterina Denkova
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Amishi P Jha
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
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2
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Jalava ST, Wammes JD. Slow and steady: Validating the rhythmic visual response task as a marker for attentional states. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:7079-7101. [PMID: 38724877 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-024-02409-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024]
Abstract
A principal goal of attention research is to develop tasks with clear behavioral signatures of attentional fluctuations. Measures that index attentional states often fall under two broad umbrellas: decision tasks, in which participants make responses based on the changing requirements of each trial, and rhythm tasks, in which participants respond rhythmically to a uniform stimulus (e.g., a metronome tone). In the former, response speeding typically precedes errors (indicative of attention failures). In the latter, increased response variability precedes subjective reports of off-task states. We developed and validated the rhythmic visual response task (RVRT); a rhythm task incorporating trial-unique scene stimuli. The RVRT incorporates two important advances from both task categories: (1) it is free from the influence that differential decision-making has on fluctuations in attentional states, and (2) trial-unique stimuli enable later cognitive judgments to be mapped to specific moments in the task. These features allow a relatively unobtrusive measure of mind wandering that facilitates the downstream assessment of its consequences. Participants completed 900 trials of the RVRT, interrupted periodically by thought probes that assessed their attentional state. We found that both response time variance and speed predicted depth of mind wandering. Encouraged by these findings, we used the same analysis approach on archival data to demonstrate that the combination of variance and speed best predicted attentional states in several rhythm and decision task datasets. We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest future research that uses the RVRT to investigate the impact of spontaneous mind wandering on memory, decision-making, and perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaela T Jalava
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 56 Arch St., Kingston, ON, K7L 3L3, Canada.
| | - Jeffrey D Wammes
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 56 Arch St., Kingston, ON, K7L 3L3, Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
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3
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Rout TW, Duda AT, De Blasio FM, Clarke AR, Barry RJ. Global alpha power fluctuations in a self-caught mind-wandering paradigm are independent of arousal. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 205:112428. [PMID: 39233206 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Mind-wandering is characterised as the emergence of thought and emotions which shift attention away from a primary task. It is thought to consume up to 50 % of our waking lives and has several negative implications. Breath-counting is one task that has been utilised in conjunction with electroencephalography (EEG) to examine the brain states associated with mind-wandering. Research has consistently found reductions in alpha oscillations during periods of mind-wandering relative to breath-focus. It is possible that such fluctuations reflect an arousal mechanism warranting further investigation. Thirty-seven participants completed a 15 min breath-counting task, with simultaneous recording of EEG and skin conductance level (SCL). During this task participants were required to self-identify periods of mind-wandering via button-press. Event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) analysis was used to quantify changes in global alpha power (8-13 Hz) relative to the button press. The -8 to -4 s period prior to button-press was assessed as mind-wandering, and the 4 to 8 s period following the button-press as breath-focus. Relative to breath-focus, mind-wandering was associated with a significant decrease in global alpha power and significant increase in SCL, consistent with perceptual decoupling theory. However, changes in global alpha power and SCL did not correlate. These results suggest arousal is not the primary mechanism underlying alpha changes observed during breath-counting, thus additional processes should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Rout
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Alexander T Duda
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Frances M De Blasio
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Adam R Clarke
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Robert J Barry
- Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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Rasmussen T, Filmer HL, Dux PE. On the role of prefrontal and parietal cortices in mind wandering and dynamic thought. Cortex 2024; 178:249-268. [PMID: 39053349 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Mind wandering is a common phenomenon in our daily lives and can have both an adaptive and detrimental impact. Recently, a dynamic framework has been proposed to characterise the heterogeneity of internal thoughts, suggesting there are three distinct thought types which can change over time - freely moving, deliberately constrained, and automatically constrained (thoughts). There is currently very little evidence on how different types of dynamic thought are represented in the brain. Previous research has applied non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to causally implicate the prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobule in mind wandering. However, a more recently developed and nuanced technique, high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS), delivers more focal stimulation able to target specific brain regions. Therefore, the current study investigated the effect of anodal HD-tDCS applied to the left prefrontal and right inferior parietal cortices (with the occipital cortex included as an active control) on mind wandering, and specifically, the causal neural substrates of the three internal dynamic thought types. This was a single session study using a novel task which allows investigation into how dynamic thoughts are associated with behavioural variability and the recruitment of executive control operations across the three brain regions. There was no evidence to support our hypothesised effect of stimulation reducing task unrelated thought. Furthermore, the hypothesis driven analyses found no evidence of stimulation affecting the dynamic thought types, nor any evidence for our hypothesised effects of stimulation reducing behavioural variability and increasing randomness. There was only evidence for a relationship between these two measures of performance when participants thoughts were freely moving. However, there was evidence from our exploratory analyses that anodal stimulation to the prefrontal cortex decreased freely moving thought and anodal stimulation to the parietal lobule decreased deliberately constrained thought, relative to the sham conditions. The exploratory analyses also suggested stimulation may increase freely moving thought in the occipital cortex. Overall, these findings suggest stimulation does not affect the dynamic thought types, however there is preliminary evidence to support the heterogenous nature of mind wandering, whereby different brain regions may be causally implicated in distinct dynamic thought types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Rasmussen
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Australia.
| | - Hannah L Filmer
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Australia
| | - Paul E Dux
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Australia
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Kruger TB, Dixon MJ, Oakman JM, Smilek D. Examining the effects of caffeine during an auditory attention task. Conscious Cogn 2024; 124:103729. [PMID: 39098270 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Participants completed two sessions of an auditory attention task and intermittently responded to thought probes asking about their level of mind-wandering. After the first session one group received 200 mg of caffeinated chewing gum (n = 61) and another group received regular (placebo) chewing gum (n = 66). The gum was chewed for 20-minutes and then disposed of before beginning the second session. Participants who received caffeine showed a performance benefit as well as reported being more on task and fewer instances of spontaneous mind-wandering compared to those in the placebo group. Participants who received caffeine also reported greater positive affect and arousal, as well as less feelings of boredom, sleepiness, and mental effort required to stay on task compared to those who received placebo. These results suggest that caffeine may benefit attentional engagement as well as performance during a sustained attention task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler B Kruger
- University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Mike J Dixon
- University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Jonathan M Oakman
- University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Daniel Smilek
- University of Waterloo, Department of Psychology, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Li J, Liu Y, Xue S, Tian B. Costs over benefits: mind wandering in sporting performance. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1347561. [PMID: 39015331 PMCID: PMC11250492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1347561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Athletes' mind wandering during competition has positive and negative effects. The purpose of this study was to explore the reason for these bidirectional effects. Methods We recruited 51 athletes from China to take part in semi-structured interviews in which we explored their experiences of mind wandering in competition. We used grounded theory combined with systems thinking to complete the data analysis and theoretical construction. Results Results showed that the influence of mind wandering on sporting performance was dynamically influenced by "mind wandering source," "competition anxiety," "content of mind wandering," "attentional resources" and "attentional control," resulting in our development of the theory of "mind wandering in sporting performance (MWSP)." The above factors determine how mind wandering occurs and how it affects the competition. Discussion Although the occurrence of mind wandering during competition has positive effects, its negative effects cannot be ignored, which may lead to athletes losing the race (costs over benefits). Potential strategies focusing on the mitigation of negative effects and promotion of positive effects of mind wandering are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieling Li
- School of Physical Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Key Laboratory of Measurement and Evaluation in Exercise Bioinformation of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang, China
- Physical Education Postdoctoral Research Station, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yafang Liu
- Department of Physical Education, Tangshan Normal University, Tangshan, China
| | - Shuangpeng Xue
- School of Physical Education, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Bao Tian
- School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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Yeung RC, Fernandes MA. Recurrent involuntary memories and mind wandering are related but distinct. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024; 88:1483-1498. [PMID: 38652302 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-01961-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous thought is common in daily life, and includes recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs; memories retrieved unintentionally and repetitively) and mind wandering (MW). Both recurrent IAMs and MW are often unintentional or unconstrained, and both predict symptoms of mental health disorders. However, not all MW is unintentional, and not all IAMs are unconstrained. To what extent do recurrent IAMs and MW converge versus diverge? Undergraduates (N = 2,701) completed self-report measures of recurrent IAMs, trait MW, and psychopathology (i.e., PTSD, depression, anxiety). Regressions indicated that recurrent IAMs were significantly associated with spontaneous MW, but not deliberate MW. Further, both spontaneous MW and recurrent IAMs had unique relationships with disorder symptoms. Results suggest that recurrent IAMs are related to MW to the extent that recurrent IAMs are spontaneous. Conversely, recurrent IAMs are distinct from MW to the extent that recurrent IAMs' associations with disorder symptoms could not be solely explained by trait MW (and vice versa). This work highlights related, but distinguishable, forms of spontaneous thought and their transdiagnostic links with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Yeung
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
| | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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Shimoni H, Axelrod V. Elucidating the difference between mind-wandering and day-dreaming terms. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11598. [PMID: 38773219 PMCID: PMC11109208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62383-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Self-generated thoughts have been widely investigated in recent years, while the terms "mind-wandering" and "day-dreaming" are usually used interchangeably. But are these terms equivalent? To test this, online study participants were presented with situations of a protagonist engaged in self-generated thoughts. The scenarios differed with regard to type of situation, the activity in which the protagonist was engaged in, and the properties of the self-generated thoughts. Two different groups evaluated the same situations; one group evaluated the extent to which the protagonist mind-wandered and another the extent to which the protagonist day-dreamt. Our key findings were that the situations were perceived differently with regard to mind-wandering and day-dreaming, depending on whether self-generated thoughts occurred when the protagonist was busy with another activity and the type of self-generated thoughts. In particular, while planning, worrying, and ruminating thoughts were perceived more as mind-wandering in situations involving another activity/task, the situations without another activity/task involving recalling past events and fantasizing thoughts were perceived more as day-dreaming. In the additional experiment, we investigated laypeople's reasons for classifying the situation as mind-wandering or day-dreaming. Our results altogether indicate that mind-wandering and day-dreaming might not be fully equivalent terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar Shimoni
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Vadim Axelrod
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, 5290002, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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9
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Cherry J, McCormack T, Graham AJ. Listen up, kids! How mind wandering affects immediate and delayed memory in children. Mem Cognit 2024; 52:909-925. [PMID: 38151674 PMCID: PMC11111549 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-023-01509-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Mind wandering occurs when attention becomes disengaged from the here-and-now and directed toward internally generated thoughts; this is often associated with poorer performance on educationally significant tasks. In this study, 8- to 9-year-old children (N = 60) listened to audio stories embedded with intermittent thought probes that were used to determine if participants' thoughts were on or off task. The key objective was to explore the impact of probe-caught mind wandering on both immediate and delayed memory retention. Children reported being off task approximately 24% of the time. Most inattention episodes were classified as task-unrelated thoughts (i.e., 'pure' instances of mind wandering, 9%) or attentional failures due to distractions (9%). Higher frequency of mind wandering was strongly associated with poorer memory recall, and task-unrelated thoughts strongly predicted how well children could recall components of the audio story both immediately after the task and after a 1-week delay. This study is the first to demonstrate the impact of mind wandering on delayed memory retention in children. Results suggest that exploring mind wandering in the foundational years of schooling could provide the necessary empirical foundation for the development of practical interventions geared toward detecting and refocusing lapses of attention in educational contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Cherry
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK.
| | - Teresa McCormack
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK
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10
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Simor P, Polner B, Báthori N, Bogdány T, Sifuentes Ortega R, Peigneux P. Reduced REM and N2 sleep, and lower dream intensity predict increased mind-wandering. Sleep 2024; 47:zsad297. [PMID: 37976037 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind-wandering is a mental state in which attention shifts from the present environment or current task to internally driven, self-referent mental content. Homeostatic sleep pressure seems to facilitate mind-wandering as indicated by studies observing links between increased mind-wandering and impaired sleep. Nevertheless, previous studies mostly relied on cross-sectional measurements and self-reports. We aimed to combine the accuracy of objective sleep measures with the use of self-reports in a naturalistic setting in order to examine if objective sleep parameters predict the tendency for increased mind-wandering on the following day. We used mobile sleep electroencephalographic (EEG) headbands and self-report scales over 7 consecutive nights in a group of 67 healthy participants yielding ~400 analyzable nights. Nights with more wakefulness and shorter REM and slow wave sleep were associated with poorer subjective sleep quality at the intraindividual level. Reduced REM and N2 sleep, as well as less intense dream experiences, predicted more mind-wandering the following day. Our micro-longitudinal study indicates that intraindividual fluctuations in the duration of specific sleep stages predict the perception of sleep quality as assessed in the morning, as well as the intensity of daytime mind-wandering the following hours. The combined application of sleep EEG assessments and self-reports over repeated assessments provides new insights into the subtle intraindividual, night-to-day associations between nighttime sleep and the next day's subjective experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Simor
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bertalan Polner
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Noémi Báthori
- Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
| | - Tamás Bogdány
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rebeca Sifuentes Ortega
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
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Albert DA, Ouimet MC, Brown TG. A randomized controlled pilot trial of brief online mindfulness training in young drivers. ACCIDENT; ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION 2023; 193:107322. [PMID: 37793218 DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2023.107322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Driver distraction contributes to fatal and injury crashes in young drivers. Mind wandering (MW) is a covert form of distraction involving task-unrelated thoughts. Brief online mindfulness training (MT) may reduce unsafe driving by enhancing recognition (meta-awareness) of MW and reducing its occurrence. This pilot trial tested these proposed mechanisms of MT and explored its specificity of action, effects on driving behaviour in simulation, as well as intervention adherence and acceptability in young drivers. METHODS A pre-post (T1, T2), randomized, active placebo-controlled, double-blinded design was used. Twenty-six drivers, aged 21-25, received either brief online MT (experimental) or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR, control) over 4-6 days. A custom website blindly conducted randomization, delivered interventions, administered questionnaires, and tracked adherence. At T1 and T2, a simulator measured driving behaviour while participants indicated MW whenever they recognized it, to assess meta-awareness, and when prompted by a thought-probe, to assess overall MW. RESULTS MT reduced MW while driving in simulation. The MT group reported higher state mindfulness following sessions. Motivation did not account for MW or mindfulness results. MT and meta-awareness were associated with more focus-related steering behaviour. Intervention groups did not significantly differ in adherence or attrition. No severe adverse effects were reported, but MT participants reported more difficulty following intervention instructions. CONCLUSION Results support a plausible mechanism of MT for reducing MW-related crash risk (i.e., reduction of MW) in young drivers. This preliminary evidence, alongside promising online adherence and acceptability results, warrants definitive efficacy and effectiveness trials of online MT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Albert
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Marie Claude Ouimet
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, 150 Charles-Le Moyne PL, Suite 200, Longueuil, Quebec J4K 0A8, Canada
| | - Thomas G Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, 150 Charles-Le Moyne PL, Suite 200, Longueuil, Quebec J4K 0A8, Canada.
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12
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Fell J, Chaieb L, Hoppe C. Mind wandering in anxiety disorders: A status report. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105432. [PMID: 37898447 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Many investigations have targeted the subject of worry in anxiety disorders. Worry can be regarded as a subtype of mind wandering (MW), which is undeliberate, perseverative, negatively-valenced, and mainly future-oriented. Nevertheless, until now only a few studies have explored the role of overall MW in the origin and course of anxiety disorders. To foster progress in this field, we briefly describe and discuss relevant studies addressing MW in subjects with anxiety disorders or symptoms or disorders associated with anxiety symptoms. Provisional synthesis suggests that: a) the overall amount of MW is positively correlated with anxiety symptoms; b) MW characteristics reflecting worry and rumination appear to be relevant in anxiety; c) comorbid depressive and ADHD symptoms may contribute to excessive MW in anxiety; d) MW-related therapeutic interventions may be useful as complementary treatments in anxiety disorders. However, more studies related to MW in anxiety disorders or symptoms are necessary to corroborate and extend these initial findings. Such investigations should ideally combine experience sampling with self-rating assessments of both MW and worry/rumination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juergen Fell
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Leila Chaieb
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Hoppe
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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13
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Albert DA, Smilek D. Comparing attentional disengagement between Prolific and MTurk samples. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20574. [PMID: 37996446 PMCID: PMC10667324 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46048-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention often disengages from primary tasks in favor of secondary tasks (i.e., multitasking) and task-unrelated thoughts (i.e., mind wandering). We assessed whether attentional disengagement, in the context of a cognitive task, can substantially differ between samples from commonly used online participant recruitment platforms, Prolific and Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Initially, eighty participants were recruited through Prolific to perform an attention task in which the risk of losing points for errors was varied (high risk = 80% chance of loss, low risk = 20% chance of loss). Attentional disengagement was measured via task performance along with self-reported mind wandering and multitasking. On Prolific, we observed surprisingly low levels of disengagement. We then conducted the same experiment on MTurk. Strikingly, MTurk participants exhibited more disengagement than Prolific participants. There was also an interaction between risk and platform, with the high-risk group exhibiting less disengagement, in terms of better task performance, than the low-risk group, but only on MTurk. Platform differences in individual traits related to disengagement and relations among study variables were also observed. Platform differences persisted, but were smaller, after increasing MTurk reputation criteria and remuneration in a second experiment. Therefore, recruitment platform and recruitment criteria could impact results related to attentional disengagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Albert
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Kucyi A, Kam JWY, Andrews-Hanna JR, Christoff K, Whitfield-Gabrieli S. Recent advances in the neuroscience of spontaneous and off-task thought: implications for mental health. NATURE MENTAL HEALTH 2023; 1:827-840. [PMID: 37974566 PMCID: PMC10653280 DOI: 10.1038/s44220-023-00133-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
People spend a remarkable 30-50% of awake life thinking about something other than what they are currently doing. These experiences of being "off-task" can be described as spontaneous thought when mental dynamics are relatively flexible. Here we review recent neuroscience developments in this area and consider implications for mental wellbeing and illness. We provide updated overviews of the roles of the default mode network and large-scale network dynamics, and we discuss emerging candidate mechanisms involving hippocampal memory (sharp-wave ripples, replay) and neuromodulatory (noradrenergic and serotonergic) systems. We explore how distinct brain states can be associated with or give rise to adaptive and maladaptive forms of thought linked to distinguishable mental health outcomes. We conclude by outlining new directions in the neuroscience of spontaneous and off-task thought that may clarify mechanisms, lead to personalized biomarkers, and facilitate therapy developments toward the goals of better understanding and improving mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Kucyi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University
| | - Julia W. Y. Kam
- Department of Psychology and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary
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Drody AC, Pereira EJ, Smilek D. The importance of accounting for off-task behaviours during data collection. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:1234-1236. [PMID: 37386113 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01653-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Allison C Drody
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Effie J Pereira
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Knopps AG, Wissman KT. Collaborative Retrieval Practice Reduces Mind-Wandering During Learning. Exp Psychol 2023; 70:241-248. [PMID: 37830756 DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Research has shown engaging in retrieval practice can reduce the frequency of mind-wandering. However, no prior research has examined how engaging in collaborative (as compared to individual) retrieval practice impacts mind-wandering during learning. In the current experiment, participants were asked to study a list of words, followed by retrieval practice that either occurred collaboratively (as a dyad) or individually. During retrieval practice, participants provided self-reports as to whether they were on task or off task. Following retrieval practice, all participants completed an individual final test. Of greatest interest, the results showed that engaging in collaborative retrieval practice decreased the frequency of mind-wandering during learning. In addition, and consistent with prior collaborative learning research, collaborative inhibition during practice and postcollaborative benefits on the final test were observed. The current results provide the first demonstration of an additional benefit to using collaborative retrieval practice: This technique reduces the frequency of mind-wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn T Wissman
- Department Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
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17
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Raffaelli Q, Andrews ES, Cegavske CC, Abraham FF, Edgin JO, Andrews-Hanna JR. Dreams share phenomenological similarities with task-unrelated thoughts and relate to variation in trait rumination and COVID-19 concern. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7102. [PMID: 37130841 PMCID: PMC10152021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33767-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
While recent neurocognitive theories have proposed links between dreams and waking life, it remains unclear what kinds of waking thoughts are most similar in their phenomenological characteristics to those of dreams. To investigate this question and examine relevance of dreams to significant personal concerns and dispositional mental health traits, we employed ecological momentary assessment and trait questionnaires across 719 young adults who completed the study during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time marked by considerable societal concern. Across the group and at the level of individual differences, dreams showed the highest correspondence with task-unrelated thoughts. Participants who self-reported greater COVID-19 concern rated their dreams as more negative and unconstructive, a relationship which was moderated by trait rumination. Furthermore, dreams perceived as more negative unconstructive and immersive in nature associated with increased trait rumination beyond variation in rumination explained by waking task-unrelated thoughts alone. Together, these results point to similarities between perceived characteristics of dreams and task-unrelated thoughts, and support a relationship between dreams, current concerns, and mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Raffaelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
| | - Eric S Andrews
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Caitlin C Cegavske
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Freya F Abraham
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jamie O Edgin
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Jessica R Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, 1503 E University Blvd., Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
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18
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Sekiguchi T. Curiosity makes your mind wander: Effects of epistemic curiosity and trait anxiety on mind wandering. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.112069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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19
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Kornacka M, Skorupski MS, Krejtz I. Maladaptive task-unrelated thoughts: Self-control failure or avoidant behavior? Preliminary evidence from an experience sampling study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1037443. [PMID: 36998626 PMCID: PMC10043255 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1037443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionTask-unrelated thoughts (TUT) play an important role in everyday life functioning (e.g., anticipating the future, or providing a mental break). However, TUT might also be maladaptive, impairing cognitive performance emotion regulation, and increasing the risk of psychological disorders. In the present study, we aimed to test how self-reported control over TUT and task valence moderate the link between task difficulty and TUT intensity, testing the context regulation and avoidant alternative hypotheses of TUT occurrence.MethodForty-nine participants took part in an experience sampling study. They were asked to answer five times a day for 5 days a series of questions assessing the intensity, valence, control over TUT, and their momentary affect along with characteristics of the task they were currently performing. They also filled in trait questionnaires assessing their tendency to daydream, ruminate, and their beliefs on emotions' usefulness and controllability.ResultsThe results showed that both task difficulty and one's lower control over thoughts along with their interaction significantly increased TUT intensity. Task negative valence significantly predicted TUT intensity and moderated the link between task difficulty and TUT intensity. In addition, the tendency to daydream and beliefs in the controllability of negative emotions affect the relations in this model.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to provide quantitative evidence from an experience sampling study on the role of the valence of currently performed tasks and beliefs on emotions on TUT intensity. It might be an important indication for research and clinical practice that maladaptive TUT might not be only linked to self-control failure but also to emotion regulation strategies one is using.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Kornacka
- Emotion Cognition Lab, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice, Poland
- *Correspondence: Monika Kornacka
| | - Michał S. Skorupski
- Emotion Cognition Lab, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice, Poland
| | - Izabela Krejtz
- Insitute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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Kawashima I, Hinuma T, Tanaka SC. Ecological momentary assessment of mind-wandering: meta-analysis and systematic review. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2873. [PMID: 36801931 PMCID: PMC9938857 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29854-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind-wandering (MW) is a universal human phenomenon and revealing its nature contributes to understanding consciousness. The ecological momentary assessment (EMA), in which subjects report a momentary mental state, is a suitable method to investigate MW in a natural environment. Previous studies employed EMA to study MW and attempted to answer the most fundamental question: How often do we let our minds wander? However, reported MW occupancies vary widely among studies. Further, while some experimental settings may induce bias in MW reports, these designs have not been explored. Therefore, we searched PubMed and Web of Science for articles published until the end of 2020 and systematically reviewed 25 articles, and performed meta-analyses on 17 of them. Our meta-analysis found that people spend 34.504% of daily life in mind-wandering, and meta-regression revealed that using subject smartphones for EMA, frequent sampling, and long experimental duration significantly affect MW reports. This result indicates that EMA using subject smartphones may tend to collect sampling under habitual smartphone use. Furthermore, these results indicate the existence of reactivity, even in MW research. We provide fundamental knowledge of MW and discuss rough standards for EMA settings in future MW studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Issaku Kawashima
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Tomoko Hinuma
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan
| | - Saori C Tanaka
- Brain Information Communication Research Laboratory Group, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR), Kyoto, Japan.
- Division of Information Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara, Japan.
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21
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Coexistence of thought types as an attentional state during a sustained attention task. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1581. [PMID: 36709372 PMCID: PMC9884194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28690-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Some studies have asked participants about attentional state on a scale from on-task to off-task, which set the middle option as attention focused on both, including the possibility of the coexistence of thoughts. In addition, studies using multidimensional probes explicitly assumed coexistence within spontaneous thoughts and task-focus dimensions. Although several studies have assumed the coexistence of some thought dimensions, none has explored whether these are different types of thoughts (task-focus, mind-wandering, task-related, external stimuli-related). To examine whether this coexistence of thought types occurred, we used thought probes to determine the degree of immersion in each. The participants responded to probes presented at random during a sustained attention task. The results revealed a mixture of thought types in many self-reports. In addition, the state of attentional allocation behind self-reports was estimated using the hidden Markov model. We observed the following attentional states: task-focused, task-unrelated, task-related, external stimuli-focused, and task-focused-but also focused on other thoughts. These results suggest that individuals can simultaneously allocate attention to thought types and discriminate between reporting. In some cases, probe options should also be considered for this coexistence. We also examined the relationship between self-reports and behavioral indexes, and discussed the necessity of separately measuring the degree of immersion for each thought type.
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22
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Examining the relation between mind wandering and unhealthy eating behaviours. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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Colby A, Wong A, Allen L, Kun A, Mills C. Perceived Group Identity Alters Task-Unrelated Thought and Attentional Divergence During Conversations. Cogn Sci 2023; 47:e13236. [PMID: 36625330 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Task-unrelated thought (TUT) occurs frequently in our daily lives and across a range of tasks, but we know little about how this phenomenon arises during and influences the way we communicate. Conversations also provide a novel opportunity to assess the alignment (or divergence) in TUT during dyadic interactions. We conducted a study to determine: (a) the frequency of TUT during conversation as well as how partners align/diverge in their rates of TUT, (b) the subjective and behavioral correlates of TUT and TUT divergence during conversation, and (c) if perceived social group identity impacts TUT and TUT divergence during conversation. We used a minimal groups induction procedure to assign participants (N = 126) to either an ingroup, outgroup, or control condition. We then asked them to converse with one another via a computer-mediated text chat application for 10 min while self-reporting TUTs. On average, participants reported TUT about once every 2 min; however, this rate was lower for participants in the ingroup condition, compared to the control condition. Conversational pairs in the ingroup condition were also aligned more in their rates of TUT compared to the outgroup condition. Finally, we discuss subjective and behavioral correlates of TUT and TUT divergence in conversations, such as valence, turn-taking ratios, and topic shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aaron Wong
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota
| | - Laura Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire.,Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota
| | - Andrew Kun
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Hampshire
| | - Caitlin Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire.,Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota
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24
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Pay attention and you might miss it: Greater learning during attentional lapses. Psychon Bull Rev 2022:10.3758/s13423-022-02226-6. [PMID: 36510094 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02226-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Attentional lapses have been found to impair everything from basic perception to learning and memory. Yet, despite the well-documented costs of lapses on cognition, recent work suggests that lapses might unexpectedly confer some benefits. One potential benefit is that lapses broaden our learning to integrate seemingly irrelevant content that could later prove useful-a benefit that prior research focusing only on goal-relevant memory would miss. Here, we measure how fluctuations in sustained attention influence the learning of seemingly goal-irrelevant content that competes for attention with target content. Participants completed a correlated flanker task in which they categorized central targets (letters or numbers) while ignoring peripheral flanking symbols that shared hidden probabilistic relationships with the targets. We found that across participants, higher rates of attentional lapses correlated with greater learning of the target-flanker relationships. Moreover, within participants, learning was more evident during attentional lapses. These findings address long-standing theoretical debates and reveal a benefit of attentional lapses: they expand the scope of learning and decisions beyond the strictly relevant.
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25
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Webb CA, Tierney AO, Brown HA, Forbes EE, Pizzagalli DA, Ren B. Spontaneous Thought Characteristics are Differentially Related to Heightened Negative Affect vs. Blunted Positive Affect in Adolescents: An Experience Sampling Study. JCPP ADVANCES 2022; 2:e12110. [PMID: 36817188 PMCID: PMC9937432 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mind-wandering has been linked to negative affect and depressive symptoms in adolescents. However, mind-wandering is an extremely broad and heterogenous cognitive construct. Some features of spontaneous thought may be related to increased negative affect, whereas others may improve affect, or have no emotional influence. We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to investigate the characteristics of spontaneous thoughts in adolescents and their differential relations with moment-to-moment affect. Method One-hundred and sixteen adolescents (ages 13-18; Typical Mood (TM) = 58; Low Mood (LM) = 58) completed 5 days (2-3 times/day) of EMA (total 1,037 surveys) assessing current positive and negative affect (PA and NA) and dimensions of spontaneous thought. Multilevel models tested the relation between thought characteristics and affect. Results Relative to the TM group, LM adolescents had a higher frequency of mind-wandering (38% vs. 56%) and negatively-valanced thoughts during episodes of mind-wandering (21% vs. 37%). Negatively-valenced, self-referential and past-oriented thoughts were each associated with higher NA, even when controlling for plausible confounds (e.g., engagement in an unpleasant activity or social interaction, depressive symptom severity). In contrast, task-focused and positively-valenced thoughts were uniquely linked to higher PA. Conclusion Characteristics of spontaneous thought - including temporal orientation, self-referential quality, and task-relatedness - were differentially related to NA vs. PA in adolescents. If replicated, these findings could inform more nuanced assessments of and targeted interventions for specific dimensions of mind-wandering contributing to high NA vs. blunted PA in teens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian A. Webb
- Harvard Medical School – Boston, MA, USA,McLean Hospital – Belmont, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Boyu Ren
- Harvard Medical School – Boston, MA, USA,McLean Hospital – Belmont, MA, USA
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26
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Axelrod V, Rozier C, Lehongre K, Adam C, Lambrecq V, Navarro V, Naccache L. Neural modulations in the auditory cortex during internal and external attention tasks: A single-patient intracranial recording study. Cortex 2022; 157:211-230. [PMID: 36335821 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain sensory processing is not passive, but is rather modulated by our internal state. Different research methods such as non-invasive imaging methods and intracranial recording of the local field potential (LFP) have been used to study to what extent sensory processing and the auditory cortex in particular are modulated by selective attention. However, at the level of the single- or multi-units the selective attention in humans has not been tested. In addition, most previous research on selective attention has explored externally-oriented attention, but attention can be also directed inward (i.e., internal attention), like spontaneous self-generated thoughts and mind-wandering. In the present study we had a rare opportunity to record multi-unit activity (MUA) in the auditory cortex of a patient. To complement, we also analyzed the LFP signal of the macro-contact in the auditory cortex. Our experiment consisted of two conditions with periodic beeping sounds. The participants were asked either to count the beeps (i.e., an "external attention" condition) or to recall the events of the previous day (i.e., an "internal attention" condition). We found that the four out of seven recorded units in the auditory cortex showed increased firing rates in "external attention" compared to "internal attention" condition. The beginning of this attentional modulation varied across multi-units between 30-50 msec and 130-150 msec from stimulus onset, a result that is compatible with an early selection view. The LFP evoked potential and induced high gamma activity both showed attentional modulation starting at about 70-80 msec. As the control, for the same experiment we recorded MUA activity in the amygdala and hippocampus of two additional patients. No major attentional modulation was found in the control regions. Overall, we believe that our results provide new empirical information and support for existing theoretical views on selective attention and spontaneous self-generated cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Axelrod
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| | - Camille Rozier
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | - Katia Lehongre
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Paris Brain Institute, UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtriere Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Claude Adam
- AP-HP, GH Pitie-Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Department, Paris, France
| | - Virginie Lambrecq
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurophysiology, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UMR S1127, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Navarro
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; AP-HP, GH Pitie-Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Department, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UMR S1127, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Naccache
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurophysiology, Paris, France
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Lian S, Bai X, Zhu X, Sun X, Zhou Z. How and for Whom Is Mobile Phone Addiction Associated with Mind Wandering: The Mediating Role of Fatigue and Moderating Role of Rumination. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15886. [PMID: 36497958 PMCID: PMC9741139 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing prevalence of mobile phone addiction, mobile phone addiction has been considered a prominent risk factor for internalizing or externalizing problems, such as psychological distress and irrational procrastination. However, few studies shed light on the effect of mobile phone addiction on mind wandering and the underlying mechanisms. This study speculated that the direct effect of mobile phone addiction on mind wandering may be linked to fatigue and that the level of an individual's personality characteristics, such as rumination, may influence both the direct and indirect effects of mobile phone addiction on mind wandering. To test these hypotheses, we recruited 1811 college students to complete the self-report questionnaires. The results indicated that mobile phone addiction was positively associated with mind wandering. This direct effect could be mediated by fatigue, and both the direct and indirect effects of mobile phone addiction on mind wandering could be moderated by rumination. Specifically, both the direct and indirect effects were stronger for students with high rumination. These findings enrich our understanding of how, why, and for whom mobile phone addiction is correlated with mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuailei Lian
- College of Education and Sports Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xuqing Bai
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhu
- College of Education and Sports Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, China
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Xiaojun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zongkui Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Wuhan 430079, China
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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28
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Wong AY, Smith SL, McGrath CA, Flynn LE, Mills C. Task-unrelated thought during educational activities: A meta-analysis of its occurrence and relationship with learning. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2022.102098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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29
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Prior exposure increases judged truth even during periods of mind wandering. Psychon Bull Rev 2022; 29:1997-2007. [PMID: 35477849 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02101-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Much of our day is spent mind-wandering-periods of inattention characterized by a lack of awareness of external stimuli and information. Whether we are paying attention or not, information surrounds us constantly-some true and some false. The proliferation of false information in news and social media highlights the critical need to understand the psychological mechanisms underlying our beliefs about what is true. People often rely on heuristics to judge the truth of information. For example, repeated information is more likely to be judged as true than new information (i.e., the illusory truth effect). However, despite the prevalence of mind wandering in our daily lives, current research on the contributing factors to the illusory truth effect have largely ignored periods of inattention as experimentally informative. Here, we aim to address this gap in our knowledge, investigating whether mind wandering during initial exposure to information has an effect on later belief in the truth of that information. That is, does the illusory truth effect occur even when people report not paying attention to the information at hand. Across three studies we demonstrate that even during periods of mind wandering, the repetition of information increases truth judgments. Further, our results suggest that the severity of mind wandering moderated truth ratings, such that greater levels of mind wandering decreased truth judgements for previously presented information.
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Zhang Q, Jia LX, Cui JF, Wang Q, Ye JY, Shi HS, Wang Y, Chan RCK. The relationship between schizotypal traits and satisfaction with life among Chinese young adults: The mediating effect of trait anxiety and mind wandering. Psych J 2022; 11:310-316. [PMID: 35231958 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Schizotypal traits have been found to be negatively associated with satisfaction with life but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This study investigated the association between schizotypal traits and satisfaction with life and explored the mediating role of trait anxiety and mind wandering in the relationship between those two variables in a sample of Chinese young adults. One hundred and two individuals with high schizotypal traits and 104 individuals with low schizotypal traits were screened using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. They completed a series of questionnaires including the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Mind Wandering Questionnaire. Results showed that: First, the high schizotypal trait group showed lower satisfaction with life, and higher trait anxiety and mind wandering frequency than the low schizotypal trait group. Second, the high schizotypal trait group, trait anxiety, and mind wandering negatively predicted satisfaction with life. Third, mediation analyses showed that all indirect effect paths in the mediation model were significant, that is, trait anxiety and mind wandering alone and together mediated the relationship between schizotypal trait group and satisfaction with life. In conclusion, high schizotypal trait is a risk factor for low satisfaction with life. The association between schizotypal traits and satisfaction with life was mediated by the combination of trait anxiety and mind wandering. This study has implications for improving life satisfaction in individuals with high schizotypal traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu-Xia Jia
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Fang Cui
- Research Center for Information and Statistics, National Institute of Education Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Mental Health Education Center, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
| | - Jun-Yan Ye
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Song Shi
- North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Raymond C K Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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31
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Groot JM, Csifcsák G, Wientjes S, Forstmann BU, Mittner M. Catching Wandering Minds with Tapping Fingers: Neural and Behavioral Insights into Task-unrelated Cognition. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:4447-4463. [PMID: 35034114 PMCID: PMC9574234 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When the human mind wanders, it engages in episodes during which attention is focused on self-generated thoughts rather than on external task demands. Although the sustained attention to response task is commonly used to examine relationships between mind wandering and executive functions, limited executive resources are required for optimal task performance. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between mind wandering and executive functions more closely by employing a recently developed finger-tapping task to monitor fluctuations in attention and executive control through task performance and periodical experience sampling during concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and pupillometry. Our results show that mind wandering was preceded by increases in finger-tapping variability, which was correlated with activity in dorsal and ventral attention networks. The entropy of random finger-tapping sequences was related to activity in frontoparietal regions associated with executive control, demonstrating the suitability of this paradigm for studying executive functioning. The neural correlates of behavioral performance, pupillary dynamics, and self-reported attentional state diverged, thus indicating a dissociation between direct and indirect markers of mind wandering. Together, the investigation of these relationships at both the behavioral and neural level provided novel insights into the identification of underlying mechanisms of mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Groot
- Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9037 , Norway
- Integrative Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1018 WB , The Netherlands
| | - Gábor Csifcsák
- Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø 9037 , Norway
| | - Sven Wientjes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Ghent, Ghent 9000 , Belgium
| | - Birte U Forstmann
- Integrative Model-Based Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1018 WB , The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Mittner
- Address correspondence to Matthias Mittner, Department of Psychology, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Huginbakken 32, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
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32
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Blondé P, Girardeau JC, Sperduti M, Piolino P. A wandering mind is a forgetful mind: A systematic review on the influence of mind wandering on episodic memory encoding. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:774-792. [PMID: 34906400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In the last two decades, mind wandering has received increased interest in the field of cognitive neuroscience. Despite the strong links between attention and memory, its effect on episodic memory encoding has only been recently investigated. To date, there is no systematic synthesis on this link. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of the literature on mind wandering and episodic memory was conducted. Five online bibliographic databases (PsycNET, Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and Taylor & Francis) were searched. Twenty-four studies were eligible for the current review and were compared based on their methodologies and results. Overall, stimulus-independent mind wandering appeared to be a reliable negative factor influencing the encoding of both words and audio-visual stimuli. However, a few studies pointed out a potential positive effect of stimulus-dependent mind wandering on episodic memory encoding. Theoretical explanations of these results, the limits of existing investigations and avenues for potential future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Blondé
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Charles Girardeau
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Marco Sperduti
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Pascale Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Paris, France; Institut Universitaire de France, France.
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33
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Jubera-Garcia E, Gevers W, Van Opstal F. Local build-up of sleep pressure could trigger mind wandering: Evidence from sleep, circadian and mind wandering research. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 191:114478. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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34
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Mind wandering at encoding, but not at retrieval, disrupts one-shot stimulus-control learning. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 83:2968-2982. [PMID: 34322789 PMCID: PMC8318327 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02343-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The one-shot pairing of a stimulus with a specific cognitive control process, such as task switching, can bind the two together in memory. The episodic control-binding hypothesis posits that the formation of temporary stimulus-control bindings, which are held in event-files supported by episodic memory, can guide the contextually appropriate application of cognitive control. Across two experiments, we sought to examine the role of task-focused attention in the encoding and implementation of stimulus-control bindings in episodic event-files. In Experiment 1, we obtained self-reports of mind wandering during encoding and implementation of stimulus-control bindings. Results indicated that, whereas mind wandering during the implementation of stimulus-control bindings does not decrease their efficacy, mind wandering during the encoding of these control-state associations interferes with their successful deployment at a later point. In Experiment 2, we complemented these results by using trial-by-trial pupillometry to measure attention, again demonstrating that attention levels at encoding predict the subsequent implementation of stimulus-control bindings better than attention levels at implementation. These results suggest that, although encoding stimulus-control bindings in episodic memory requires active attention and engagement, once encoded, these bindings are automatically deployed to guide behavior when the stimulus recurs. These findings expand our understanding of how cognitive control processes are integrated into episodic event files.
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35
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Arango-Muñoz S, Bermúdez JP. Intentional mind-wandering as intentional omission: the surrealist method. SYNTHESE 2021; 199:7727-7748. [PMID: 34970008 PMCID: PMC8668849 DOI: 10.1007/s11229-021-03135-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mind-wandering seems to be paradigmatically unintentional. However, experimental findings have yielded the paradoxical result that mind-wandering can also be intentional. In this paper, we first present the paradox of intentional mind-wandering and then explain intentional mind-wandering as the intentional omission to control one's own thoughts. Finally, we present the surrealist method for artistic production to illustrate how intentional omission of control over thoughts can be deployed towards creative endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Arango-Muñoz
- Instituto de Filosofía, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 67 N° 53-108, Of. 12-408, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Juan Pablo Bermúdez
- Institut de philosophie, University of Neuchâtel, Espace Tilo-Frey 1, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Programa de Filosofia, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanas, Universidad Externado de Colombia, Calle 12 No 1-17 Este, Bogotá, Colombia
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36
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Testing the construct validity of competing measurement approaches to probed mind-wandering reports. Behav Res Methods 2021; 53:2372-2411. [PMID: 33835393 PMCID: PMC8613094 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01557-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Psychology faces a measurement crisis, and mind-wandering research is not immune. The present study explored the construct validity of probed mind-wandering reports (i.e., reports of task-unrelated thought [TUT]) with a combined experimental and individual-differences approach. We examined laboratory data from over 1000 undergraduates at two U.S. institutions, who responded to one of four different thought-probe types across two cognitive tasks. We asked a fundamental measurement question: Do different probe types yield different results, either in terms of average reports (average TUT rates, TUT-report confidence ratings), or in terms of TUT-report associations, such as TUT rate or confidence stability across tasks, or between TUT reports and other consciousness-related constructs (retrospective mind-wandering ratings, executive-control performance, and broad questionnaire trait assessments of distractibility–restlessness and positive-constructive daydreaming)? Our primary analyses compared probes that asked subjects to report on different dimensions of experience: TUT-content probes asked about what they’d been mind-wandering about, TUT-intentionality probes asked about why they were mind-wandering, and TUT-depth probes asked about the extent (on a rating scale) of their mind-wandering. Our secondary analyses compared thought-content probes that did versus didn’t offer an option to report performance-evaluative thoughts. Our findings provide some “good news”—that some mind-wandering findings are robust across probing methods—and some “bad news”—that some findings are not robust across methods and that some commonly used probing methods may not tell us what we think they do. Our results lead us to provisionally recommend content-report probes rather than intentionality- or depth-report probes for most mind-wandering research.
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37
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Imtiaz F, Ji LJ, Vaughan-Johnston T. Exploring preferences for present- and future-focused job opportunities across seniors and young adults. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01365-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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38
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Windt JM. How deep is the rift between conscious states in sleep and wakefulness? Spontaneous experience over the sleep-wake cycle. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190696. [PMID: 33308071 PMCID: PMC7741079 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether we are awake or asleep is believed to mark a sharp divide between the types of conscious states we undergo in either behavioural state. Consciousness in sleep is often equated with dreaming and thought to be characteristically different from waking consciousness. Conversely, recent research shows that we spend a substantial amount of our waking lives mind wandering, or lost in spontaneous thoughts. Dreaming has been described as intensified mind wandering, suggesting that there is a continuum of spontaneous experience that reaches from waking into sleep. This challenges how we conceive of the behavioural states of sleep and wakefulness in relation to conscious states. I propose a conceptual framework that distinguishes different subtypes of spontaneous thoughts and experiences independently of their occurrence in sleep or waking. I apply this framework to selected findings from dream and mind-wandering research. I argue that to assess the relationship between spontaneous thoughts and experiences and the behavioural states of sleep and wakefulness, we need to look beyond dreams to consider kinds of sleep-related experience that qualify as dreamless. I conclude that if we consider the entire range of spontaneous thoughts and experiences, there appears to be variation in subtypes both within as well as across behavioural states. Whether we are sleeping or waking does not appear to strongly constrain which subtypes of spontaneous thoughts and experiences we undergo in those states. This challenges the conventional and coarse-grained distinction between sleep and waking and their putative relation to conscious states. This article is part of the theme issue 'Offline perception: voluntary and spontaneous perceptual experiences without matching external stimulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M. Windt
- Department of Philosophy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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39
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Influence of content and intensity of thought on behavioral and pupil changes during active mind-wandering, off-focus, and on-task states. Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 82:1125-1135. [PMID: 31515772 PMCID: PMC7303097 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-019-01865-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mind wandering (MW) is a pervasive phenomenon that occurs very frequently, regardless of the task. A content-based definition of MW holds that it occurs when the content of thought switches from an ongoing task and/or an external stimulus-driven event to self-generated or inner thoughts. A recent account suggests that the transition between these different states of attention occurs via an off-focus state. Following this suggestion, previous work relating MW to pupil size might have lumped attentional states that are critically different from each (i.e., off-focus and MW states). In the present study, both behavior and pupil size were measured during a sustained-attention-to-response task, to disentangle the content of thought (on task or MW) from an off-focus state of mind. The off-focus state was operationalized by probing the intensity with which participants were on task or mind-wandering. The results of two experiments showed that the behavioral and phasic pupillary responses were sensitive to changes related to the content of thought. The behavioral responses were furthermore related to the intensity of the thought. However, no clear relation between the different attentional states and tonic pupillary diameter was found, suggesting that it is an unreliable proxy for MW.
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40
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Filmer HL, Marcus LH, Dux PE. Stimulating task unrelated thoughts: tDCS of prefrontal and parietal cortices leads to polarity specific increases in mind wandering. Neuropsychologia 2020; 151:107723. [PMID: 33307101 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mind wandering has been associated with both adaptive outcomes and performance impairment, depending on the context. Recently, non-invasive brain stimulation has been applied in several studies with the aim to investigate the neural region(s) casually involved in mind wandering. However, to date there has been little definitive work assessing whether or not the stimulation of different brain regions leads to distinct mind wandering outcomes. The present preregistered study considered the role of the prefrontal cortex and inferior parietal lobule in mind wandering using two stimulation intensities (1mA and 2mA) and two stimulation polarity montages. One-hundred and fifty subjects were randomly allocated to one of the four active stimulation groups or a sham group. Participants' mind wandering propensity was measured via a task unrelated thought probe dispersed throughout an attention-based task completed directly after stimulation. Anodal stimulation to the prefrontal cortex, and cathodal stimulation to the inferior parietal lobule, increased mind wandering propensity and this effect was relatively unaffected by stimulation dosage. These findings support a causal role for these two regions in mind wandering, one that is polarity specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Filmer
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
| | - Leo H Marcus
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Paul E Dux
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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41
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Experience sampling of the degree of mind wandering distinguishes hidden attentional states. Cognition 2020; 205:104380. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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42
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Arnicane A, Oberauer K, Souza AS. Validity of attention self-reports in younger and older adults. Cognition 2020; 206:104482. [PMID: 33129051 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human attention is subject to fluctuations. Mind-wandering (MW) - attending to thoughts unrelated to the current task demands - is considered a ubiquitous experience. According to the Control Failure x Concerns view (McVay & Kane, 2010), MW is curbed by executive control, and task-irrelevant thoughts enter consciousness due to attentional control lapses. The generation of off-task thoughts is assumed to increase with higher number of personal concerns. Challenging this view, older adults report less MW than younger adults. Here, we addressed the hypothesis that older adults report less MW due to a lower ability to notice attention lapses and to appraise their current on-task focus. In an age-comparative study (N = 40 younger and N = 44 older adults) using a battery of three tasks spanning working memory, reading comprehension, and sustained attention, we assessed the correlation between the degree of self-reported on-task focus and task performance on a trial-by-trial basis. Younger and older adults' degree of on-task attention measured through thought probes was correlated equally strongly with performance across trials in all tasks, indicating preserved ability to monitor attentional fluctuations in healthy aging. Self-reported current concerns' number and importance did not differ across age, and they did not predict self-reported attention across tasks. Our study shows that lower rates of MW in aging do not reflect lower validity of older adults' attentional appraisal or lower levels of current concerns.
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43
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Arch JJ, Wilcox RR, Ives LT, Sroloff A, Andrews-Hanna JR. Off-task thinking among adults with and without social anxiety disorder: an ecological momentary assessment study. Cogn Emot 2020; 35:269-281. [PMID: 33076778 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1830751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Although task-unrelated thinking (often conceptualised as "mind-wandering") has been increasingly investigated in recent years, the content and correlates of everyday off-task thought in clinical disorders, particularly anxiety disorders, remain poorly understood. We aimed to address this gap by using ecological momentary assessment to assess off-task and on-task thoughts in adults with social anxiety disorder (SAD) and demographically matched controls. Findings showed that individuals with SAD more frequently engaged in internally oriented off-task thinking than healthy controls, but not externally oriented off-task thinking. Compared to thoughts focused on the task at hand, adults with SAD rated their internal off-task thoughts as less controllable, more self-focused, and as associated with worse mood than controls. However, when the SAD group was focused on the task at hand, group differences disappeared. Daily findings were paralleled by higher scores in SAD on a trait measure of unintentional, but not intentional, mind-wandering. In sum, the content and mood correlate of internally oriented off-task thoughts depended on the presence of clinical anxiety. In addition, focusing on the task at hand normalised thought content and mood in SAD, highlighting a window for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna J Arch
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ramsey R Wilcox
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Lindsay T Ives
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Aylah Sroloff
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jessica R Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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44
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Kruger TB, Dixon MJ, Graydon C, Stange M, Larche CJ, Smith SD, Smilek D. Using deliberate mind-wandering to escape negative mood states: Implications for gambling to escape. J Behav Addict 2020; 9:723-733. [PMID: 33010146 PMCID: PMC8943661 DOI: 10.1556/2006.2020.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Slot machines are a pervasive form of gambling in North America. Some gamblers describe entering "the slot machine zone"-a complete immersion into slots play to the exclusion of all else. METHODS We assessed 111 gamblers for mindfulness (using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)), gambling problems (using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)), depressive symptoms (using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), and boredom proneness (using the Boredom Proneness Scale). In a counterbalanced order, participants played a slot machine simulator and completed an auditory vigilance task. During each task, participants were interrupted with thought probes to assess whether they were: on-task, spontaneously mind-wandering, or deliberately mind-wandering. After completing each task, we retrospectively assessed flow and affect. Compared to the more exciting slots play, we propose that gamblers may use deliberate mind-wandering as a maladaptive means to regulate affect during a repetitive vigilance task. RESULTS Our key results were that gamblers reported greater negative affect following the vigilance task (when compared to slots) and greater positive affect following slots play (when compared to the vigilance task). We also found that those who scored higher in problem gambling were more likely to use deliberate mind-wandering as a means to cope with negative affect during the vigilance task. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we found that the number of "deliberately mind-wandering" responses accounted for unique variance when predicting problem gambling severity (over and above depression, mindfulness, and boredom proneness). CONCLUSIONS These assessments highlight a potential coping mechanism used by problem gamblers in order to deal with negative affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler B. Kruger
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada,Gambling Research Lab, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada,Corresponding author. E-mail:
| | - Mike J. Dixon
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada,Gambling Research Lab, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Candice Graydon
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada,Gambling Research Lab, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Madison Stange
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada,Gambling Research Lab, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Chanel J. Larche
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada,Gambling Research Lab, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen D. Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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45
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Krasich K, Huffman G, Faber M, Brockmole JR. Where the eyes wander: The relationship between mind wandering and fixation allocation to visually salient and semantically informative static scene content. J Vis 2020; 20:10. [PMID: 32926071 PMCID: PMC7490225 DOI: 10.1167/jov.20.9.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vision is crucial for many everyday activities, but the mind is not always focused on what the eyes see. Mind wandering occurs frequently and is associated with attenuated visual and cognitive processing of external information. Corresponding changes in gaze behavior—namely, fewer, longer, and more dispersed fixations—suggest a shift in how the visual system samples external information. Using three computational models of visual salience and two innovative approaches for measuring semantic informativeness, the current work assessed whether these changes reflect how the visual system prioritizes visually salient and semantically informative scene content, two major determinants in most theoretical frameworks and computational models of gaze control. Findings showed that, in a static scene viewing task, fixations were allocated to scene content that was more visually salient 10 seconds prior to probe-caught, self-reported mind wandering compared to self-reported attentive viewing. The relationship between mind wandering and semantic content was more equivocal, with weaker evidence that fixations are more likely to fall on locally informative scene regions. This indicates that the visual system is still able to discriminate visually salient and semantically informative scene content during mind wandering and may fixate on such information more frequently than during attentive viewing. Theoretical implications are discussed in light of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Krasich
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Greg Huffman
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA.,Present address: Leidos, Reston, VA, USA
| | - Myrthe Faber
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - James R Brockmole
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
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46
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Keller AS, Davidesco I, Tanner KD. Attention Matters: How Orchestrating Attention May Relate to Classroom Learning. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2020; 19:fe5. [PMID: 32870089 PMCID: PMC8711818 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.20-05-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Attention is thought to be the gateway between information and learning, yet there is much we do not understand about how students pay attention in the classroom. Leveraging ideas from cognitive neuroscience and psychology, we explore a framework for understanding attention in the classroom, organized along two key dimensions: internal/external attention and on-topic/off-topic attention. This framework helps us to build new theories for why active-learning strategies are effective teaching tools and how synchronized brain activity across students in a classroom may support learning. These ideas suggest new ways of thinking about how attention functions in the classroom and how different approaches to the same active-learning strategy may vary in how effectively they direct students' attention. We hypothesize that some teaching approaches are more effective than others because they leverage natural fluctuations in students' attention. We conclude by discussing implications for teaching and opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle S. Keller
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Ido Davidesco
- Department of Educational Psychology, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269
| | - Kimberly D. Tanner
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132
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47
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Brain meta-state transitions demarcate thoughts across task contexts exposing the mental noise of trait neuroticism. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3480. [PMID: 32661242 PMCID: PMC7359033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17255-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers have observed large-scale neural meta-state transitions that align to narrative events during movie-viewing. However, group or training-derived priors have been needed to detect them. Here, we introduce methods to sample transitions without any priors. Transitions detected by our methods predict narrative events, are similar across task and rest, and are correlated with activation of regions associated with spontaneous thought. Based on the centrality of semantics to thought, we argue these transitions serve as general, implicit neurobiological markers of new thoughts, and that their frequency, which is stable across contexts, approximates participants' mentation rate. By enabling observation of idiosyncratic transitions, our approach supports many applications, including phenomenological access to the black box of resting cognition. To illustrate the utility of this access, we regress resting fMRI transition rate and movie-viewing transition conformity against trait neuroticism, thereby providing a first neural confirmation of mental noise theory.
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Murray S, Krasich K, Schooler JW, Seli P. What's in a Task? Complications in the Study of the Task-Unrelated-Thought Variety of Mind Wandering. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 15:572-588. [PMID: 32049592 DOI: 10.1177/1745691619897966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the number of studies examining mind wandering has increased considerably, and research on the topic has spread widely across various domains of psychological research. Athough the term mind wandering has been used to refer to various cognitive states, researchers typically operationalize mind wandering in terms of task-unrelated thought (TUT). Research on TUT has shed light on the various task features that require people's attention and on the consequences of task inattention. Important methodological and conceptual complications do persist, however, in current investigations of TUT. We argue that these complications may be dampening the development of a more nuanced scientific account of TUT. In this article, we outline three of the more prominent methodological and conceptual complications in the literature on TUT and discuss potential directions for researchers to take as they move forward in their investigations of TUT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Murray
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
| | | | - Jonathan W Schooler
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara
| | - Paul Seli
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University
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Linz R, Pauly R, Smallwood J, Engert V. Mind-wandering content differentially translates from lab to daily life and relates to subjective stress experience. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 85:649-659. [PMID: 31832761 PMCID: PMC7900029 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01275-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Experience and thoughts that are unrelated to the external surroundings are pervasive features of human cognition. Research under the rubric of mind-wandering suggests that such internal experience is context-dependent, and that the content of ongoing thought differentially influences a range of associated outcomes. However, evidence on how the extent of mind-wandering and its content translate from the laboratory to daily life settings is scarce. Furthermore, the relationship between such patterns of thought with markers of stress in daily life remains underexplored. In the current study, we examined multiple aspects of mind-wandering of ninety-three healthy participants (47 women, 25.4 ± 3.9 years) in both the laboratory and daily life and explored two questions: (a) how are mind-wandering extent and content correlated across both settings, and (b) what are their relationships with subjective stress and salivary cortisol levels in daily life? Our results suggest that the extent of off-task thinking is not correlated across contexts, while features of content—i.e., social, future-directed and negative thought content—robustly translate. We also found that daily life subjective stress was linked to more on-task, negative, and future-directed thinking, suggesting stress was linked with the need to act on personally relevant goals. Based on these results we speculate that differences in the links between stress and ongoing thought in daily life may be one reason why patterns of thinking vary from lab to everyday life. More generally, these findings underline the need to consider both context and content in investigating mind-wandering and associated features of subjective experience, and call for caution in generalizing laboratory findings to participants’ daily lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Linz
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Reena Pauly
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Veronika Engert
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Social Neuroscience, Institute of Psychosocial Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Shavit-Cohen K, Zion Golumbic E. The Dynamics of Attention Shifts Among Concurrent Speech in a Naturalistic Multi-speaker Virtual Environment. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 13:386. [PMID: 31780911 PMCID: PMC6857110 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Focusing attention on one speaker on the background of other irrelevant speech can be a challenging feat. A longstanding question in attention research is whether and how frequently individuals shift their attention towards task-irrelevant speech, arguably leading to occasional detection of words in a so-called unattended message. However, this has been difficult to gauge empirically, particularly when participants attend to continuous natural speech, due to the lack of appropriate metrics for detecting shifts in internal attention. Here we introduce a new experimental platform for studying the dynamic deployment of attention among concurrent speakers, utilizing a unique combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and Eye-Tracking technology. We created a Virtual Café in which participants sit across from and attend to the narrative of a target speaker. We manipulated the number and location of distractor speakers by placing additional characters throughout the Virtual Café. By monitoring participant's eye-gaze dynamics, we studied the patterns of overt attention-shifts among concurrent speakers as well as the consequences of these shifts on speech comprehension. Our results reveal important individual differences in the gaze-pattern displayed during selective attention to speech. While some participants stayed fixated on a target speaker throughout the entire experiment, approximately 30% of participants frequently shifted their gaze toward distractor speakers or other locations in the environment, regardless of the severity of audiovisual distraction. Critically, preforming frequent gaze-shifts negatively impacted the comprehension of target speech, and participants made more mistakes when looking away from the target speaker. We also found that gaze-shifts occurred primarily during gaps in the acoustic input, suggesting that momentary reductions in acoustic masking prompt attention-shifts between competing speakers, in line with "glimpsing" theories of processing speech in noise. These results open a new window into understanding the dynamics of attention as they wax and wane over time, and the different listening patterns employed for dealing with the influx of sensory input in multisensory environments. Moreover, the novel approach developed here for tracking the locus of momentary attention in a naturalistic virtual-reality environment holds high promise for extending the study of human behavior and cognition and bridging the gap between the laboratory and real-life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elana Zion Golumbic
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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