Propensity to intentional and unintentional mind-wandering differ in arousal and executive vigilance tasks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Martínez-Pérez ◽  
Damián Baños ◽  
Almudena Andreu ◽  
Miriam Tortajada ◽  
Lucia Beatriz Palmero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Control ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Control Model ◽  
Resource Control ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Task Execution ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Response Task ◽  
Psychomotor Vigilance

Background: The current study examined people’s propensity to mind wander when they perform vigilance tasks that tap different components of vigilance, namely arousal or executive. We suggest that the propensity to mind-wander may occur not only spontaneously (unintentional), but also deliberately (intentional) and that this distinction may have considerable theoretical implications. Thus, while intentional mind-wandering could arise from a lack of motivation and monotonicity of the task, unintentional mind-wandering could be driven mainly by a failure of executive control. Methods: Participants performed the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) to assess the arousal component of vigilance, and the Sustained Attention to Response task (SART) to assess the executive component of vigilance. Two types of mind wandering were probed throughout the task execution, intentional and unintentional. Results: The rates of overall mind-wandering were greater for the PVT than for the SART. Although there was greater propensity to develop unintentional than intentional mind-wandering in both tasks, propensity to intentional mind-wandering was higher with the PVT than with the SART, whereas the ratio of unintentional mind-wandering was higher with the SART than with the PVT. Finally, regarding unintentional mind wandering, in the PVT, the most pronounced increment occurred between blocks 1 and 2, and thereafter it stabilized. In the SART, a rather progressive increment was observed as the task progressed. Regarding intentional mind wandering, progressive increment was observed mainly in the SART.Conclusions: The differential patterns of intentional and unintentional mind wandering as a function of task suggest that, intentional mind wandering occurs mainly in monotonous tasks where propensity to mind wander has little impact on task performance. However, unintentional mind wandering is the result of a failure to keep control on the primary executive task and therefore attentional resources deviate to mind wander, the default mode. These results support and extend the Thompson et al.’s (2015) resource-control model.

scholarly journals Propensity to intentional and unintentional mind-wandering differs in arousal and executive vigilance tasks

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0258734
Author(s):  
Víctor Martínez-Pérez ◽  
Damián Baños ◽  
Almudena Andreu ◽  
Miriam Tortajada ◽  
Lucía B. Palmero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Resource Control ◽  
Time On Task ◽  
Vigilance Decrement ◽  
Task Execution ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Response Task ◽  
Psychomotor Vigilance

We typically observe a decrement in vigilance with time-on-task, which favors the propensity for mind-wandering, i.e., the shifting of attention from the task at hand to task-unrelated thoughts. Here, we examined participants’ mind-wandering, either intentional or unintentional, while performing vigilance tasks that tap different components of vigilance. Intentional mind-wandering is expected mainly when the arousal component is involved, whereas unintentional mind-wandering is expected mainly in tasks involving the executive component. The Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) assessed the arousal component, whereas the Sustained Attention to Response task (SART) assessed the executive component of vigilance. The two types of mind-wandering were probed throughout task execution. The results showed that the overall rate of mind-wandering was higher in the PVT than in the SART. Intentional mind-wandering was higher with the PVT than with the SART, whereas unintentional mind-wandering was higher with the SART than with the PVT. Regarding mind-wandering as a function of vigilance decrement with time-on-task, unintentional mind-wandering in the PVT increased between blocks 1 and 2 and then stabilized, whereas a progressive increase was observed in the SART. Regarding intentional mind-wandering, a progressive increase was only observed in the SART. The differential patterns of intentional and unintentional mind-wandering in both tasks suggest that, intentional mind wandering occurs mainly in arousal tasks in which propensity to mind-wander has little impact on task performance. However, unintentional mind-wandering occurs mainly in executive tasks as a result of a failure of cognitive control, which promotes attentional resources to be diverted toward mind-wandering. These results are discussed in the context of the resource-control model of mind-wandering.

Does Depleting Self-Control Result in Poorer Vigilance Performance?

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-425
Author(s):  
Kelly Satterfield ◽  
Amanda E. Harwood ◽  
William S. Helton ◽  
Tyler H. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Control Theory ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Resource Control ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Vigilance Decrement ◽  
Vigilance Performance ◽  
Typing Task

Objective: To investigate whether depleting self-control prior to vigilance results in a steeper vigilance decrement. Background: The resource-control theory of vigilance asserts that an inherent bias toward self-generated mind-wandering draws attentional resources away from the primary task. This study seeks to test whether depleting self-control, the potential mechanism of self-generated mind-wandering, results in poorer vigilance performance. Method: This study featured a between-subjects design where participants either completed a typing task that depleted self-control resources or a standard typing task that did not require self-control before performing a vigilance task. In the self-control depletion condition, participants typed a passage while omitting any “e” and “space” keys. In the standard typing task, participants typed the same passage without skipping any keys. Following both typing tasks, participants in both conditions completed an identical 12-min vigilance task. Results: Results demonstrated decreased accuracy and increased reaction times over time for both groups. Depleting self-control did not result in significant differences in accuracy, reaction time, nor a steeper vigilance decrement. Conclusion: These results provide evidence against resource-control theory and self-control as an explanation for vigilance, and provide further support for cognitive resource theory as the predominant explanation for vigilance impairments. Application: It is still unclear exactly what constitutes a “resource.” A better understanding of the nature of these resources can help researchers and practitioners identify how they can be replenished, which could enhance human performance in situations requiring vigilance such as baggage screening.

scholarly journals Catching wandering minds with tapping fingers: Neural and behavioral insights into task-unrelated cognition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Maria Groot ◽  
Gabor Csifcsak ◽  
Sven Wientjes ◽  
Birte Forstmann ◽  
Matthias Mittner
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functions ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Finger Tapping ◽  
Attention And Executive Control ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Response Task

When the human mind wanders, it engages in episodes during which attention is focused on self-generated thoughts rather than on external task demands. Although the sustained attention to response task is commonly used to examine relationships between mind wandering and executive functions, limited executive resources are required for optimal task performance. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between mind wandering and executive functions more closely by employing a recently developed finger-tapping task to monitor fluctuations in attention and executive control through objective task performance and periodical experience sampling during concurrent fMRI and pupillometry. Our results show that mind wandering was preceded by increases in finger-tapping variability, which was correlated with activity in dorsal and ventral attention networks. The entropy of random finger-tapping sequences was related to activity in frontoparietal regions associated with executive control, demonstrating the suitability of this paradigm for studying executive functioning. The neural correlates of behavioral performance, pupillary dynamics, and self-reported attentional state diverged, indicating a dissociation between objective and subjective markers of mind wandering. Together, the investigation of these relationships at both the behavioral and neural level provided novel insights in the identification of underlying mechanisms of mind wandering.

The impact of state and dispositional mindfulness on prospective memory: a virtual reality study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Charles Girardeau ◽  
Philippe Blondé ◽  
Dominique Makowski ◽  
Maria Abram ◽  
Pascale Piolino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Attentional Resources ◽  
Natural Tendency ◽  
Dispositional Trait ◽  
Main Observation ◽  
Mindfulness Facets ◽  
Event Based ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. Prospective memory (PM) consists of remembering to perform an action that was previously planned. The recovery and execution of these actions require attentional resources. Mindfulness, as a state or a dispositional trait, has been associated with better attentional abilities. In this study, we investigated the impact of mindfulness on PM. Methods. Eighty participants learned 15 cue-action associations. They were, then, asked to recall the actions at certain moments (time-based items) or places (event-based items) during a walk in a virtual town. Before the PM task, participants were randomly assigned to a mindfulness or mind-wandering (control condition) session. Dispositional mindfulness was measured via the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Results. We found no difference between the two groups in the PM scores. Nevertheless, the natural tendency to describe one's own sensations (the Describing facet of the FFMQ) predicted time-based performance in both groups. Conclusions. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore the link between mindfulness and PM. We did not report any effect of a short mindfulness session, compared to mind-wandering, on PM. We discuss different hypotheses to explain this finding. Our main observation is a positive link between the Describing facet and time-based PM performances. We propose that this link could be due to the common association of this mindfulness facets and PM with attentional and interoceptive abilities. Additional studies are needed to explore this hypothesis.

098 Effects of Metameric Display-Light on Alertness, Vigilance and Melatonin

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A40-A41
Author(s):  
Isabel Schöllhorn ◽  
Oliver Stefani ◽  
Manuel Spitschan ◽  
Robert Lucas ◽  
Christian Cajochen
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Power ◽  
Light Exposure ◽  
Vigilance Task ◽  
Ongoing Study ◽  
Swiss National Science Foundation ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
Salivary Melatonin ◽  
Subjective Alertness ◽  
Psychomotor Vigilance ◽  
Circadian Physiology

Abstract Introduction Light emitted from visual displays can acutely increase alertness, improve cognitive performance and suppress melatonin in the evening. Here we tested the influence of different melanopic irradiance levels emitted by a metameric display setting on alertness, vigilance and salivary melatonin levels. Methods In an ongoing study, 37 healthy, male participants have so far completed a 2-week study protocol. Volunteers were assigned to one of four luminance groups which differed in brightness levels (27 cd/m2 - 280 cd/m2). Illuminance ranged between 7 and 85 lx. Within the four groups each volunteer was exposed to a low melanopic (LM) and a high melanopic condition (HM). The LM and HM differed in melanopic irradiance (ca. 3-fold change), but matched in terms of cone excitation (metamers). Before, during and after the light exposure, volunteers performed a psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). Subjective alertness and melatonin levels were continuously measured in half-hourly intervals throughout scheduled wakefulness in the 17-h in lab study. Results Preliminary analysis yielded an overall alerting response in the HM vs. the LM condition (p<0.05) concomitant with a trend of reduced melatonin levels in HM vs. LM (p=0.08). So far, we could not observe a difference in PVT performance for HM and LM (Reaction time responses between 100 and 500 ms). Since we are still lacking statistical power in the ongoing study, we cannot yet satisfactorily interpret interaction effects between melanopic condition and brightness. Conclusion Our data indicate that rather low brightness levels of high melanopic display light impacts alertness and melatonin levels in the evening. Thus, metameric low melanopic display light may be a promising method to attenuate activating properties of evening light on circadian physiology without affecting visual appearance. Support (if any) This project is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

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