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The effects of posture on mind wandering
Xinrui Yang1, Binbin Qian1, Xinqi Zhou2
1Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Psychological Research
|May 22, 2021
Summary
Body posture affects mind wandering. Lying down significantly increased mind wandering and decreased reading performance compared to sitting or standing, suggesting impaired executive control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Factors
Background:
- Mind wandering is a common internal cognitive process.
- Understanding factors influencing mind wandering is crucial for cognitive performance.
- Body posture's impact on internal cognitive states remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of different body postures on mind wandering during a cognitive task.
- To examine the relationship between body posture, mind wandering, and executive control.
Main Methods:
- Participants completed a reading comprehension task in three postures: lying supine, sitting, and standing.
- Mind wandering frequency was measured using the probe-caught technique.
- Meta-awareness of mind wandering was assessed via self-caught methods.
- Reading performance served as an indirect measure of executive control.
Main Results:
- Mind wandering was significantly higher in the lying posture compared to sitting and standing.
- Meta-awareness of mind wandering did not differ across postures.
- Reading performance was impaired in the lying posture relative to sitting and standing.
Conclusions:
- Lying posture may increase mind wandering due to potential executive control dysfunction.
- Altered cognitive resource allocation might occur in the lying posture.
- Body posture is a relevant factor influencing internal cognitive processes and task performance.
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