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Local use-dependent activity triggers mind wandering: Resource depletion or executive dysfunction?
Esperanza Jubera-García1, Luc Vermeylen2, Philippe Peigneux1
1ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI).
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance
|November 4, 2021
Summary
Mind wandering may stem from depleted task-specific resources, not just executive function changes. This study links objective mind wandering measures to task performance, suggesting resource depletion as a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sleep Research
Background:
- Mind wandering (MW) is common, often linked to executive function shifts.
- Existing theories propose executive function changes as the primary cause of MW.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if mind wandering (MW) can arise from resource depletion in task-specific networks.
- To differentiate MW origins beyond executive function system changes.
Main Methods:
- Participants engaged in a texture discrimination task (TDT) over four sessions.
- Mind wandering was assessed using subjective thought probes and objective phasic pupillary responses.
- Task performance was measured, considering its known inverse relationship with sleep pressure.
Main Results:
- Objective measures of MW directly correlated with TDT accuracy.
- Subjective MW measures showed a similar pattern but lacked reliability.
- Findings suggest MW is not solely tied to executive system alterations.
Conclusions:
- Mind wandering can be associated with the depletion of local, task-related neural resources.
- This challenges the exclusive view of MW originating from executive function system changes.
- Supports a dual-origin hypothesis for mind wandering: executive control and resource depletion.
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