Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

505
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
505
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

2.4K
Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
2.4K
Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory01:26

Higher Mental Functions of Brain: Learning and Memory

1.7K
Memory is one of the most vital higher mental functions of the brain. Memory is closely related to learning because it enables us to retain information and experiences from our past to use them in our present life. It also helps us to remember facts, events, and skills, such as riding a bike or swimming. There are two types of memory — declarative memory, which involves memorizing facts or events, and procedural memory, which enables us to remember how to do something like writing or...
1.7K
Interference: Path Lengths01:10

Interference: Path Lengths

1.7K
Consider two sources of sound, that may or may not be in phase, emitting waves at a single frequency, and consider the frequencies to be the same.
Two special sources may be considered when they are in phase. This can be easily achieved by feeding the two sources from the same source. An example would be synchronizing the two speakers by feeding them with the same source, such as the sound waves produced by a tuning fork. This setup ensures that the two sources have the same frequency and are...
1.7K
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

502
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
502
Brain Waves01:23

Brain Waves

2.8K
Brain waves are electrical signals generated by the neurons in the brain, which are regularly monitored to measure mental activities. Brain waves and their frequency ranges can be measured using an electroencephalogram or EEG. There are four main types of brain waves, each with distinct characteristics:
2.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Meaning transfer and conditioned anger to orofacial sounds: A referential learning model of misophonia.

Behaviour research and therapy·2026
Same author

Associations Between Room Function, Office Design, Workplace Spatial Layout, and Sitting Patterns During Office Work: A Field Study.

Journal of occupational and environmental medicine·2026
Same author

Reshaping the happy face advantage with reinforcement learning.

Cognition & emotion·2025
Same author

Understanding the misophonic experience: a mixed method study.

Frontiers in psychology·2025
Same author

The unpleasantness of thinking: A meta-analytic review of the association between mental effort and negative affect.

Psychological bulletin·2024
Same author

Sitting patterns in cardiovascular disease patients compared with healthy controls and impact of cardiac rehabilitation.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2022
Same journal

Musical training increases anticipatory responding and predictive control in sequence learning.

Psychological research·2026
Same journal

When emotions hurt: negative interpretations of bodily signals and interoceptive difficulties in fibromyalgia.

Psychological research·2026
Same journal

Emotion-specific modality effects in auditory and visual perception of emotion.

Psychological research·2026
Same journal

The effect of retrieval practice on incidental memory is modulated by emotional valence: evidence of ERPs.

Psychological research·2026
Same journal

The length of a piece of string: Where the whole is more than the sum of its constituent parts.

Psychological research·2026
Same journal

The influence of older age, individual differences in cognitive abilities, and state of mind on learning novel categories.

Psychological research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension
06:49

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension

Published on: January 10, 2014

27.7K

Mind wandering increases linearly with text difficulty.

Rebecca Kahmann1, Yesim Ozuer2, Claire M Zedelius3

  • 1Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. r.kahmann@pwo.ru.nl.

Psychological Research
|February 12, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mind wandering during reading increases linearly with text difficulty, contrary to U-shaped predictions. Text interest also influences this relationship, impacting comprehension performance.

More Related Videos

Eye-tracking to Distinguish Comprehension-based and Oculomotor-based Regressive Eye Movements During Reading
05:54

Eye-tracking to Distinguish Comprehension-based and Oculomotor-based Regressive Eye Movements During Reading

Published on: October 18, 2018

6.5K
Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
07:12

Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

688

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 17, 2025

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension
06:49

Using Eye Movements to Evaluate the Cognitive Processes Involved in Text Comprehension

Published on: January 10, 2014

27.7K
Eye-tracking to Distinguish Comprehension-based and Oculomotor-based Regressive Eye Movements During Reading
05:54

Eye-tracking to Distinguish Comprehension-based and Oculomotor-based Regressive Eye Movements During Reading

Published on: October 18, 2018

6.5K
Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss
07:12

Development of a Gaze-Contingent Display Framework Designed for Perceptual and Oculomotor Research with Simulated Central Vision Loss

Published on: April 11, 2025

688

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Educational Psychology
  • Reading Comprehension

Background:

  • Mind wandering during reading is influenced by text difficulty.
  • The precise nature of this relationship requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between text difficulty and mind wandering during reading.
  • To investigate the moderating role of text interest.
  • To assess the impact of mind wandering on reading comprehension.

Main Methods:

  • Participants read non-fiction texts across five difficulty levels (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Levels, Coh-Metrix indices).
  • Mind wandering was measured using thought probes.
  • Reading comprehension was assessed via a test.

Main Results:

  • Mind wandering showed a linear increase with text difficulty, contradicting a U-shaped relationship.
  • Text interest moderated the effect of text difficulty on mind wandering.
  • Increased mind wandering correlated with lower comprehension scores.

Conclusions:

  • A linear relationship exists between text difficulty and mind wandering in typical reading scenarios.
  • This linear relationship is consistent across a wide spectrum of text difficulties.
  • Mind wandering negatively impacts reading comprehension performance.