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Mind-Wandering Enhances Learning under Uncertainty: Insights from Iowa Gambling Task
Saba Siddiqi1, Sathya Narayana Sharma1
1Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad, Jharkhand 826004, India.
Consciousness and Cognition
|February 17, 2026
Summary
Mind-wandering, or attention shifting to unrelated thoughts, enhances learning under uncertainty. This effect is strongest in individuals with high spontaneous mind-wandering traits, suggesting an adaptive cognitive role.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Mind-wandering involves attention shifting to task-unrelated thoughts.
- Understanding its impact on learning and decision-making under uncertainty is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of trait and state mind-wandering on learning and decision-making.
- To explore the interaction between spontaneous/deliberate trait mind-wandering and state mind-wandering.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Iowa Gambling Task to assess decision-making under uncertainty.
- Measured state mind-wandering using intermittent thought probes.
- Assessed trait mind-wandering via a standardized questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Mind-wandering was associated with enhanced learning across task trials.
- An interaction between trait spontaneous mind-wandering and state mind-wandering predicted learning.
- The positive effect of state mind-wandering on learning was greatest in individuals with moderate to high spontaneous trait mind-wandering.
- No significant effect of mind-wandering on risky choices was observed.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous mind-wandering appears to facilitate cognitive adaptability in uncertain environments.
- Mind-wandering plays an adaptive role in learning processes, particularly under conditions of uncertainty.
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