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Where Is My Mind…? The Link between Mind Wandering and Prospective Memory
Jean-Charles Girardeau1, Marco Sperduti1, Philippe Blondé2
1Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (LMC2 UR7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
Brain Sciences
|September 23, 2022
Summary
Mind wandering, when attention shifts to inner thoughts, is common. Surprisingly, only past-oriented thoughts, not future-planning, predict prospective memory performance.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mind wandering (MW) is a frequent human experience where attention deviates from the present task.
- MW is often future-oriented and may play a role in prospective memory (PM).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between mind wandering and prospective memory performance.
- To understand the temporal orientation of mind wandering content and its impact on intention fulfillment.
Main Methods:
- A 15-day experience-sampling study using mobile phone probes with 226 participants.
- Assessed mind wandering frequency and prospective memory performance in a naturalistic setting.
Main Results:
- Mind wandering constitutes 40% of mental activity, predominantly future-oriented (64%).
- Future-oriented thoughts included long-term anticipation (20%) and daily planning (44%).
- Only past-oriented thoughts (9%) were found to predict prospective memory performance.
Conclusions:
- Mind wandering's role in prospective memory may be more complex than previously assumed.
- Past-oriented thinking, rather than future-oriented planning, appears crucial for maintaining intentions.
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