The "Feeling" of inattention: ADHD symptoms and mind wandering beyond remembered thought content

Mind wandering is frequently associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in adults, yet the precise nature of this relationship remains unclear. The current study applied an approach from mind-wandering research to the context of ADHD by distinguishing between remembered mind wandering, defined as explicitly recalling off-task thought content, and subjective feelings of inattention, defined as sensing that one's attention was off task without recalling specific thoughts. We investigated how these distinct aspects of off-task experience relate to ADHD symptomatology, well-being, impairment, and sustained-attention performance. Participants from university and online ADHD communities completed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) with thought probes assessing remembered mind wandering and subjective inattention, along with measures of ADHD symptoms, well-being, and impairment. Results showed partially separable patterns of association: subjective feelings of inattention were associated with inattentive symptoms, well-being, impairment, and poorer SART performance, whereas remembered mind wandering was associated primarily with hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. These findings suggest that the association between mind wandering and ADHD depends on how off-task experience is defined and measured. More broadly, they highlight the importance of distinguishing metacognitive judgments about attentional state from reports of thought content when evaluating mind wandering, because reports of being off task may not always imply access to identifiable task-unrelated thoughts. By separating attentional state from accessible thought content, the present study helps clarify the complex relationship between mind wandering and ADHD and points to a broader measurement issue in research on inattention and off-task thought.