scholarly journals A closer look at the timecourse of mind wandering: pupillary responses and behaviour

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Pelagatti ◽  
Paola Binda ◽  
Manila Vannucci
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Verbal Cues ◽  
Pupillary Responses ◽  
Task Period ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
Temporal Focus ◽  
Objective Marker

AbstractMind wandering (MW) refers to the shift of attention away from a primary task and/or external environment towards thoughts unrelated to the task. Recent evidence has shown that pupillometry can be used as an objective marker of the onset and maintenance of externally-driven MW episodes. In the present study we aimed to further investigate pupillary changes associated with the onset and duration of self-reported MW episodes.We used a modified version of the joint behavioural-pupillometry paradigm we recently introduced. Participants were asked to perform a monotonous vigilance task which was intermixed with task-irrelevant cue-phrases (visually presented verbal cues); they were instructed to interrupt the task whenever a thought came to mind (self-caught method) and to indicate the trigger of their thought, if any. We found systematic pupil dilation after the presentation of verbal cues reported to have triggered MW, compared with other verbal cues presented during a supposedly on-task period (i.e., the period immediately following the resuming of the task after a self-caught interruption and MW report). These results confirm that pupil diameter is sensitive to the changes associated with the onset of MW and its unfolding over time.Moreover, by computing the latency between the trigger presentation and the task interruption (self-catch), we could also estimate the duration of MW episodes triggered by verbal cues. However, a high variability was found, implying very large inter-event variability, which could not be explained by any of the MW properties we acquired (including: temporal focus, specificity, emotional valence). Our behavioural and pupillometry findings stress the need for objective measures about the temporal unfolding of MW (while most studies focus on arbitrary time-window preceding self-reports of MW).

scholarly journals Manipulating cues in mind wandering: Verbal cues affect the frequency and the temporal focus of mind wandering

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manila Vannucci ◽  
Claudia Pelagatti ◽  
Igor Marchetti
Keyword(s):  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Verbal Cues ◽  
Temporal Focus

Temporal Focus of Mind Wandering Questionnaire for Children

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun Ye ◽  
Xiaolan Song ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Qinqin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Temporal Focus

scholarly journals Multiple Neuronal Networks Mediate Sustained Attention

2003 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1028-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia S. Lawrence ◽  
Thomas J. Ross ◽  
Ray Hoffmann ◽  
Hugh Garavan ◽  
Elliot A. Stein
Keyword(s):  
Task Performance ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
The Neural Networks ◽  
Task Irrelevant

Sustained attention deficits occur in several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are still incompletely understood. To that end, functional MRI was used to investigate the neural substrates of sustained attention (vigilance) using the rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task in 25 healthy volunteers. In order to better understand the neural networks underlying attentional abilities, brain regions where task-induced activation correlated with task performance were identified. Performance of the RVIP task activated a network of frontal, parietal, occipital, thalamic, and cerebellar regions. Deactivation during task performance was seen in the anterior and posterior cingulate, insula, and the left temporal and parahippocampal gyrus. Good task performance, as defined by better detection of target stimuli, was correlated with enhanced activation in predominantly right fronto-parietal regions and with decreased activation in predominantly left temporo-limbic and cingulate areas. Factor analysis revealed that these performance-correlated regions were grouped into two separate networks comprised of positively activated and negatively activated intercorrelated regions. Poor performers failed to significantly activate or deactivate these networks, whereas good performers either activated the positive or deactivated the negative network, or did both. The fact that both increased activation of task-specific areas and increased deactivation of task-irrelevant areas mediate cognitive functions underlying good RVIP task performance suggests two independent circuits, presumably reflecting different cognitive strategies, can be recruited to perform this vigilance task.

scholarly journals Testing the Attention-Distractibility Trait

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Ethan Meier
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Science Framework ◽  
Thought Probes ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
And Task

Forster and Lavie (2014, 2016) found that task-irrelevant distraction correlated positively with a measure of mind-wandering and a report of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomology. Based primarily on these results, Forster and Lavie claimed to establish an attention-distractibility trait. Here, I sought to replicate the associations among measures of task-irrelevant distraction, mind wandering, and ADHD symptomology, and to test if these associations could be distinguished from associations with working memory capacity and task-relevant distraction. With data collected from two hundred and twenty-six subjects (ns differ among analyses), the results from the current study suggest that the measure of task-irrelevant distraction is not (or only very weakly) associated with measures of mind wandering (measured both with a stand-alone questionnaire and in-task thought probes) and ADHD symptomology. Additionally, the measure of irrelevant-distraction exhibited low internal consistency suggesting that (as measured) it is not capable of being a an individual differences measure. [Preregistration, data, analysis scripts and output are available via the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/bhs24/].

scholarly journals Pupillary responses to affective words in bilinguals' first versus second language

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilhelmiina Toivo ◽  
Christoph Scheepers
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Emotional Involvement ◽  
Pupillary Responses ◽  
Emotional Resonance ◽  
Post Trial ◽  
Specific Control ◽  
Late Bilinguals

Late bilinguals often report less emotional involvement in their second language, a phenomenon called reduced emotional resonance in L2. The present study measured pupil dilation in response to high- versus low-arousing words (e.g., riot vs. swamp) in German-English and Finnish-English late bilinguals, both in their first and in their second language. A third sample of English monolingual speakers (tested only in English) served as a control group. To improve on previous research, we controlled for lexical confounds such as length, frequency, emotional valence, and abstractness – both within and across languages. Results showed no appreciable differences in post-trial word recognition judgements (98% recognition on average), but reliably stronger pupillary effects of the arousal manipulation when stimuli were presented in participants' first rather than second language. This supports the notion of reduced emotional resonance in L2. Our findings are unlikely to be due to differences in stimulus-specific control variables or to potential word-recognition difficulties in participants' second language. Linguistic relatedness between first and second language (German-English vs. Finnish-English) was also not found to have a modulating influence.

Relating Individual Differences in Trait-Anxiety to Memory Functioning in Young Children

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lavinia Cheie ◽  
Laura Visu-Petra
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Visual Recognition ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Verbal Recall ◽  
Memory Functioning ◽  
High Anxious ◽  
Delayed Recognition ◽  
Task Irrelevant ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

There is extensive evidence indicating cognitive biases at several stages of information processing in high-anxious children. Little research, however, has investigated a potential memory bias toward negative information in high-anxious young children. We studied immediate and delayed verbal recall as well as delayed visual recognition in a sample of high-trait-anxious (HA) and low-trait-anxious (LA) preschoolers (N = 76, mean age = 65 months), using stimuli containing task-irrelevant emotional valence (positive, negative, neutral). The findings revealed that, compared to their LA counterparts, HA preschoolers displayed (1) a tendency to be less accurate in the immediate verbal recall task, (2) poorer recall of negative words in the immediate condition and poorer recall of neutral words in the delayed condition, (3) impaired delayed recognition of identities with happy facial expressions and a tendency to better recognize identities expressing anger. Results are discussed considering the dynamic interplay between personality, emotion and cognitive factors during early development.

scholarly journals Using deliberate mind-wandering to escape negative mood states: Implications for gambling to escape

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 723-733
Author(s):  
Tyler B. Kruger ◽  
Mike J. Dixon ◽  
Candice Graydon ◽  
Madison Stange ◽  
Chanel J. Larche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Problem Gambling ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Slot Machine ◽  
Slot Machines ◽  
Gambling Severity ◽  
Boredom Proneness

AbstractBackground and aims: Slot machines are a pervasive form of gambling in North America. Some gamblers describe entering “the slot machine zone”—a complete immersion into slots play to the exclusion of all else. Methods: We assessed 111 gamblers for mindfulness (using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)), gambling problems (using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI)), depressive symptoms (using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale), and boredom proneness (using the Boredom Proneness Scale). In a counterbalanced order, participants played a slot machine simulator and completed an auditory vigilance task. During each task, participants were interrupted with thought probes to assess whether they were: on-task, spontaneously mind-wandering, or deliberately mind-wandering. After completing each task, we retrospectively assessed flow and affect. Compared to the more exciting slots play, we propose that gamblers may use deliberate mind-wandering as a maladaptive means to regulate affect during a repetitive vigilance task. Results: Our key results were that gamblers reported greater negative affect following the vigilance task (when compared to slots) and greater positive affect following slots play (when compared to the vigilance task). We also found that those who scored higher in problem gambling were more likely to use deliberate mind-wandering as a means to cope with negative affect during the vigilance task. Using hierarchical multiple regression, we found that the number of “deliberately mind-wandering” responses accounted for unique variance when predicting problem gambling severity (over and above depression, mindfulness, and boredom proneness). Conclusions: These assessments highlight a potential coping mechanism used by problem gamblers in order to deal with negative affect.

The Temporal Focus of Mind-Wandering and Chinese Adolescents’ Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110571
Author(s):  
Tong Jiang ◽  
Jingling Tian ◽  
Yuzhuo Zhang ◽  
Xuhai Chen ◽  
Yangmei Luo
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Chinese Adolescents ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Temporal Focus

The relationships between the temporal focus of mind-wandering (i.e., past-oriented and future-oriented mind-wandering) and well-being are important issues for adolescents, which may have significant implications on their well-being and self-identity development. However, few studies tested the temporal focus of mind-wandering and its emotional consequences in adolescents. In the present study, we conducted two studies using self-reported questionnaires from large sample sets to examine the relationships between the temporal focus of mind-wandering and hedonic (pleasure attainment) and eudaimonic (meaning pursuing) well-being among Chinese adolescents. Study 1 preliminarily tested the relationships between the temporal focus of mind-wandering and hedonic well-being among adolescents ( n = 1273) suggesting that both past-oriented mind-wandering (PMW) and future-oriented mind-wandering (FMW) were positively correlated with hedonic well-being. Study 2 used a new sample ( n = 986) and included another aspect of well-being (i.e., eudaimonic well-being), showing that PMW and FMW were both positively correlated with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Moreover, self-reflection mediated the relationships between FMW and hedonic/eudaimonic well-being, whereas self-reflection did not act as a mediator in the relationships between PMW and well-being. The present findings indicated that both PMW and FMW are beneficial for Chinese adolescents’ well-being, and emphasized the mediating role of self-reflection in the relationships between FMW and well-being.

Thinking Through Secrets: Rethinking the Role of Thought Suppression in Secrecy

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1411-1427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Slepian ◽  
Katharine H. Greenaway ◽  
E. J. Masicampo
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Common View ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Temporal Focus ◽  
Ironic Process ◽  
The Relationship

Having secrets on the mind is associated with lower well-being, and a common view of secrets is that people work to suppress and avoid them—but might people actually want to think about their secrets? Four studies examining more than 11,000 real-world secrets found that the answer depends on the importance of the secret: People generally seek to engage with thoughts of significant secrets and seek to suppress thoughts of trivial secrets. Inconsistent with an ironic process account, adopting the strategy to suppress thoughts of a secret was not related to a tendency to think about the secret. Instead, adopting the strategy to engage with thoughts of a secret was related the tendency to think about the secret. Moreover, the temporal focus of one’s thoughts moderated the relationship between mind-wandering to the secret and well-being, with a focus on the past exacerbating a harmful link. These results suggest that people do not universally seek to suppress their secrets; they also seek to engage with them, although not always effectively.

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