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Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
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Mind wandering on command.

Adrian B Safati1, Thomas H Carr2, Cassandra J Lowe3

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.

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|September 20, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals can control their mind wandering (MW) levels when instructed, with higher targets leading to more MW. However, this control is effortful and may impact task performance.

Keywords:
attentionexecutive controlexperience samplingmind-wanderingsustained attentionthought control

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Mind wandering, the experience of thoughts drifting from the current task, is a common cognitive phenomenon.
  • Understanding the controllability of mind wandering is crucial for cognitive performance and mental health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether individuals can systematically adjust their mind wandering levels on command.
  • To examine the relationship between instructed mind wandering levels and actual mind wandering experiences.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments involving 336 participants performing the metronome response task (MRT).
  • Intermittent thought probes measured spontaneous and deliberate mind wandering.
  • Participants received instructions to mind wander at specific percentages (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%) in blocks.
  • Performance metrics included MRT response time variability and omission errors.

Main Results:

  • Mind wandering, response time variability, and omission errors increased progressively with higher instructed mind wandering levels.
  • Instruction-related changes were more pronounced for deliberate than spontaneous mind wandering.
  • Instructing lower mind wandering (20%) reduced spontaneous mind wandering, while higher levels (60-80%) increased deliberate mind wandering.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals can, to some extent, titrate their mind wandering experiences to match instructed levels.
  • Mind wandering can be manipulated through simple instructions, suggesting a degree of volitional control.
  • Effortful control of mind wandering may incur a performance cost.