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

412
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...
412
Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

460
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
460
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

189
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
189

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Affective-Motivational Task Content and Stimulus Size Modulate Cognitive Control in Task Switching.

Experimental psychology·2026
Same author

Influence of stimulus material and effector specificity on performance in the measurement of interference control in adolescent handball and soccer players compared to non-player controls.

Psychological research·2026
Same author

Computational prediction resolves thousands of homooligomeric phage protein structures.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Neural correlates of asymmetric switch costs during affective task switching.

Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience·2026
Same author

Opposite effects of interruption frequency on performance in interrupted and uninterrupted multistep task.

Psychological research·2026
Same author

A Multilayer Model of Automatization: Core processes driving the emergence of automatic action control.

Acta psychologica·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
08:32

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

5.7K

Concurrent prospective memory task increases mind wandering during online reading for difficult but not easy texts.

Teresa Schurer1, Bertram Opitz2,3, Torsten Schubert4,5

  • 1Center of Multimedia Teaching and Learning, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120, Halle, Germany. teresa.schurer@posteo.de.

Memory & Cognition
|March 2, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Mind wandering increases when task demands exceed resources. This study found that unfinished tasks led to more task-unrelated thoughts during difficult reading, supporting the resource-demand matching model of attention.

Keywords:
AttentionMind wanderingReading

More Related Videos

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

27.4K
An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
04:30

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing

Published on: October 25, 2019

5.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
08:32

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks

Published on: September 5, 2019

5.7K
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

27.4K
An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
04:30

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing

Published on: October 25, 2019

5.7K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • Attentional processes and mind wandering are complex phenomena.
  • The resource-demand matching view posits that a mismatch between task demands and cognitive resources leads to mind wandering.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the resource-demand matching view against competing models.
  • To investigate how increasing task demands influences mind wandering and text comprehension.
  • To examine the role of prospective memory tasks in inducing mind wandering.

Main Methods:

  • Seventy-two participants studied a to-do list and then engaged in a prospective memory manipulation.
  • Participants read either an easy or difficult version of an unfamiliar hypertext while being thought-probed.
  • Text comprehension was measured after reading, with participants in the 'unfinished' group showing more task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) during difficult texts.

Main Results:

  • Participants in the unfinished group exhibited significantly more TUTs than the finished group when reading difficult texts.
  • Contrary to hypotheses, the unfinished group did not show reduced text comprehension.
  • Participants compensated for the prospective memory task by reading longer, positively impacting reading knowledge.

Conclusions:

  • Findings support the resource-demand matching model of attention.
  • Cognitive load and attentional resource allocation influence mind wandering during reading.
  • Individuals can adapt and compensate for competing cognitive demands to maintain comprehension.