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Updated: May 25, 2026

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
Published on: July 5, 2015
Priming honesty reduces subjective bias in self-report measures of mind wandering
Melaina T Vinski1, Scott Watter
1Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1. vinskimt@mcmaster.ca
Abstract:
Using self-report as a measure of conscious experience has been a point of contention in mind wandering research. Whereas prior work has focused on the introspective component of self-report validity, the current research introduces an honesty prime task to the current paradigm in order to assess the role of goal states and social factors on self-report accuracy. Findings provide evidence for an inflated report of mind wandering frequency arising from demand characteristics, intensified by the divergent properties of the subjective and behavioural measures and the general deficit in meta-awareness of off task episodes.
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