scholarly journals Daydream believer: Rumination, self-reflection and the temporal focus of mind wandering content

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 794-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Shrimpton ◽  
Deborah McGann ◽  
Leigh M. Riby
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Temporal Focus ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dispositional Differences

Current research into mind-wandering is beginning to acknowledge that this process is one of heterogeneity. Following on from previous findings highlighting the role of self-focus during mind wandering, the present study aimed to examine individual differences in rumination and self-reflection and the impact such styles of self-focus may have on mind-wandering experiences. Thirty-three participants were required to complete the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART), aimed at inducing mind-wandering episodes, whilst also probing the content of thought in terms of temporal focus. Self-report questionnaires were also administered after the SART to measure dispositional differences in style and beliefs regarding mind-wandering and assessments of individual differences in rumination and self-reflection. Those individuals with reflective self-focus showed a strong positive association with positive and constructive thoughts. Critically, ruminative self-focus was positively associated with a tendency for the mind to wander towards anguished fantasies, failures and aggression, but it was also positively associated with positive and constructive thoughts. Furthermore, while dispositional differences in self-focus showed no relationship with the temporal perspective of thoughts when probed during a cognitive task, performance on the task itself was related to whether participants were thinking about the past, present or future during that activity. Such findings are discussed in line with previous research, and provide a further step towards accounting for the heterogeneous nature of mind-wandering.

Entering the Mental Backstage: Mindfulness and Mind-Wandering among Performing Artists

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 2068-2071
Author(s):  
Avneet Kaur ◽  
Shwetha T.S
Keyword(s):  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Significant Positive Association ◽  
Performing Artists ◽  
Creative Processes ◽  
Significant Negative Relationship ◽  
Significant Difference

Existing literature has explored the role of mindfulness and mind-wandering on creative processes. However, it has overlooked the diversity in the creative domains as well as the experience of the artist while accounting for their relationship. In the present study, mindfulness and mind wandering- deliberate and spontaneous were explored among performing artists, i.e. musicians, theatre artists, and dancers. The study also looked at the artists’ experience in their field. After an initial screening using a creativity tool, 66 performing artists were recruited, following which two self-report indices that assessed mind wandering and mindfulness were administered. The data collected was subjected to quantitative data analysis in SPSS. A Oneway ANOVA showed significant effect of the creative domain on mindfulness for the three groups, with a significant difference between musicians and dancers. Among the musicians, a significant negative relationship between mind wandering spontaneous and years of experience was seen. Among the dancers, there was a significant positive association between mind wandering spontaneous, mind wandering deliberate and years of experience. The current study highlighted the need to approach the study of creativity using a contextual perspective. Keywords: Creativity, Dance, Music, Theatre.

scholarly journals The stability flexibility tradeoff and the dark side of detail

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Nassar ◽  
Vanessa Troiani
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Processing Strategies ◽  
The Stability ◽  
High Flexibility ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Attention To Detail

AbstractLearning in dynamic environments requires integrating over stable fluctuations to minimize the impact of noise (stability) but rapidly responding in the face of fundamental changes (flexibility). Achieving one of these goals often requires sacrificing the other to some degree, producing a stability-flexibility tradeoff. Individuals navigate this tradeoff in different ways, with some people learning rapidly (emphasizing flexibility) and others relying more heavily on historical information (emphasizing stability). Despite the prominence of such individual differences in learning tasks, the degree to which they relate to broader characteristics of real-world behavior or pathologies has not been well explored. Here we relate individual differences in learning behavior to self-report measures thought to collectively capture characteristics of the Autism spectrum. We show that that young adults who learn most slowly tend to integrate more effective samples into their beliefs about the world making them more robust to noise (more stability), but are more likely to integrate information from previous contexts (less flexibility). We show that individuals who report paying more attention to detail tend to use high flexibility and low stability information processing strategies. We demonstrate the robustness of this inverse relationship between attention to detail and formation of stable beliefs in a heterogeneous population of children that includes a high proportion of Autism diagnoses. Together, our results highlight that attention to detail reflects an information processing policy that comes with a substantial downside, namely the ability to integrate data to overcome environmental noise.

scholarly journals Individual Differences in Task-Unrelated Thought in University Classrooms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Kane ◽  
Nicholas Carruth ◽  
John Lurquin ◽  
Paul Silvia ◽  
Bridget Anne Smeekens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Situational Interest ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Media Multitasking ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
Thought Probes ◽  
Course Outcomes

This study investigated what academic traits, attitudes, and habits predict individual differences in task-unrelated thought (TUT) during lectures, and whether this TUT propensity mediates associations between academic individual differences and course outcomes (final grade and situational interest evoked by material). Undergraduates (N=851) from 10 psychology classes at two U.S. universities responded to thought probes presented during two early-course lectures; they also indicated sitting in the front, middle, or back of the classroom. At each probe, students categorized their thought content, such as indicating on-task thought or TUT. Students also completed online, academic-self-report questionnaires at the beginning of the course and a situational interest questionnaire at the end. Average TUT rate was 24% but individuals’ rates varied widely (SD=18%). TUT rates also increased substantially from the front to back of the classroom, and modestly from the first to second half of class periods. Multiple-group analyses (with 10 classroom groups) indicated that: (a) classroom media-multitasking habits, initial interest in the course topic, and everyday propensity for mind-wandering and boredom accounted for unique variance in TUT rate (beyond other predictors); (b) TUT rate accounted for unique (modest) variance in course grades and situational interest; and (c) classroom media multitasking and propensity for mind-wandering and boredom had indirect associations with course grades via TUT rate, and these predictor variables, along with initial interest, had indirect associations with end-of-term situational interest via TUT rate. Some academic traits and behaviors predict course outcomes in part because they predict off-task thought during class.

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.

scholarly journals Linking exploration to academic performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 404-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Gkorezis ◽  
Petros Kostagiolas ◽  
Dimitris Niakas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Healthcare Management ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Substantial empirical research has addressed the antecedents of students’ academic performance. Building on these insights, the purpose of this paper is to extend the related literature by investigating the impact of students’ exploration on their academic performance. Furthermore, to provide a better understanding of this relationship the authors incorporate two sequential mediators, namely, information seeking and academic self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative approach using self-report questionnaires. This study was conducted in the Hellenic Open University through a specially designed questionnaire. The authors collected data from 248 students attending a postgraduate course in Healthcare Management. Findings The results showed that information seeking and in turn academic self-efficacy mediate the positive association between exploration and academic performance. Both theoretical and practical implications are also discussed. Originality/value Students’ exploration plays an important role in enhancing both their information seeking and self-efficacy which in turn affects their academic performance.

scholarly journals Yikes! Are we disgusted by politicians?

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-153
Author(s):  
Bert N. Bakker ◽  
Gijs Schumacher ◽  
Maaike D. Homan
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Political Rhetoric ◽  
Self Report ◽  
The Political ◽  
Party Leaders ◽  
Moral Disgust ◽  
Moral Transgressions ◽  
Pathogen Avoidance ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn the political domain, disgust is primarily portrayed as an emotion that explains individual differences in pathogen avoidance. We hypothesized that political rhetoric accusing opponents of moral transgressions also elicits disgust responses. In this registered report, we present the results from a laboratory experiment. We find that participants self-report higher disgust and have stronger physiological (Levator labii) responses to pictures of out-party leaders compared with in-party leaders. Participants also report higher disgust in response to moral violations of in-party leaders. There is more suggestive evidence that in-party leaders evoke more labii activity when they commit moral violations than when out-party leaders do. The impact of individual differences in moral disgust and partisanship strength is very limited to absent. Intriguingly, on average, the physiological and self-reported disgust responses to the treatment are similar, but individuals differ in whether their response is physiological or cognitive. This motivates further theorizing regarding the concordance of emotional responses.

Sources of Individual Differences in L2 Narrative Production: The Contribution of Input, Processing, and Output Anxiety

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Trebits
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Input Processing ◽  
Narrative Production ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive task complexity and individual differences in input, processing, and output anxiety (IPOA) on L2 narrative production. The participants were enrolled in a bilingual secondary educational program. They performed two narrative tasks in speech and writing. The participants’ level of anxiety was assessed using the IPOA scale (MacIntyre and Gardner 1994). The results demonstrate that spoken and written modalities are influenced differently by anxiety with the impact of output anxiety being significantly stronger in speech than in writing. Another important finding was that input and processing anxiety had both facilitating and debilitating effects on learners’ L2 output. As regards the effect of task complexity on participants’ narratives, the findings suggest that the different stages of language production need to be taken into account when categorizing tasks on the basis of the cognitive load they impose on learners.

scholarly journals Individual differences in task-unrelated thought in university classrooms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Kane ◽  
Nicholas P. Carruth ◽  
John H. Lurquin ◽  
Paul J. Silvia ◽  
Bridget A. Smeekens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Situational Interest ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Media Multitasking ◽  
Final Grade ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
Thought Probes ◽  
Course Outcomes

AbstractThis study investigated what academic traits, attitudes, and habits predict individual differences in task-unrelated thought (TUT) during lectures, and whether this TUT propensity mediates associations between academic individual differences and course outcomes (final grade and situational interest evoked by material). Undergraduates (N = 851) from ten psychology classes at two US universities responded to thought probes presented during two early-course lectures; they also indicated sitting in the front, middle, or back of the classroom. At each probe, students categorized their thought content, such as indicating on-task thought or TUT. Students also completed online, academic-self-report questionnaires at the beginning of the course and a situational interest questionnaire at the end. Average TUT rate was 24% but individuals’ rates varied widely (SD = 18%). TUT rates also increased substantially from the front to back of the classroom, and modestly from the first to second half of class periods. Multiple-group analyses (with ten classroom groups) indicated that: (a) classroom media-multitasking habits, initial interest in the course topic, and everyday propensity for mind-wandering and boredom accounted for unique variance in TUT rate (beyond other predictors); (b) TUT rate accounted for unique (modest) variance in course grades and situational interest; and (c) classroom media multitasking and propensity for mind-wandering and boredom had indirect associations with course grades via TUT rate, and these predictor variables, along with initial interest, had indirect associations with end-of-term situational interest via TUT rate. Some academic traits and behaviors predict course outcomes in part because they predict off-task thought during class.

Does subordinate moqi affect leadership empowerment?

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1015-1034
Author(s):  
Lan Li ◽  
Xingshan Zheng ◽  
Siwei Sun ◽  
Ismael Diaz
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Response Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Power Distance Orientation ◽  
Dyadic Process ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Type Response

PurposeThe present study aims to ascertain the relationships between subordinate moqi and leader behaviors, by primarily discussing how and when subordinate moqi is associated with leadership empowerment.Design/methodology/approachA self-report study was conducted by recruiting 334 employees from 13 firms. All concepts were rated on a seven-point Likert-type response scale. Linear regression analysis (conducted in MPLUS 7) was conducted to verify the hypotheses.FindingsFirst, subordinate moqi showed positive association with empowerment. Second, trust-in-supervisor mediated the relationships between subordinate moqi and empowerment. Third, subordinates' power distance orientation (PDO) could moderate the subordinate moqi – leader empowerment relationship. When subordinates reported higher PDO, the relationships between subordinate moqi and empowerment were more robust; likewise, subordinate moqi would have more significantly indirectly impacted empowerment via trust-in-supervisor.Originality/valueThough researchers have discussed the impacts of subordinate moqi on subordinates' outcomes, the impact of subordinate moqi on supervisors' attitudes or behaviors remains unclear. The relationships between subordinate moqi and supervisor empowerment behaviors are empirically ascertained by emphasizing the leader-subordinate dyadic process. The findings here suggested that subordinate moqi boosted subordinates' trust-in-supervisor, and moqi would also predict the behaviors of leader empowerment. This study extended the PDO literature by identifying the moderating role of PDO in the subordinate moqi – leader empowerment behavior relationship.

scholarly journals Exploring the Impact of an Open Access Mindfulness Course with Online Graduate Students: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Sequential Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Lyn Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Open Access ◽  
Graduate Education ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Sequential Study ◽  
The Impact

As enrollment in online graduate education increases, retention continues to be problematic for many colleges and universities across the United States.  Non-traditional students, who represent the majority of online graduate student enrollment, have unique issues related to persistence considering they often must juggle the demands of graduate school with work and families.  The competing demands can lead to increased levels of perceived stress, which can impact academic performance due to increased mind wandering and decreased attention.   Mindfulness is a practice that has been shown in the literature to decrease levels of perceived stress and mind wandering, therefore, the integration of mindfulness practice could have a positive effect on student persistence in online graduate education.  Therefore, an online open access mindfulness course was created at one large urban university. The purpose of this explanatory sequential study was to explore the impact of teaching mindfulness to online graduate students.  Self-report levels of perceived stress and mind wandering were significantly lower after students completed Module One of an open access mindfulness course.  Self-reported perceived persistence levels were found to be significantly higher after Module One with students in the first or second quarter of their program, students with little or no mindfulness experience, and students who meditated four or more times a week.  Furthermore, students interviewed felt that the course provided excellent foundational information about mindfulness that could be immediately applied, and therefore should be a requirement for all incoming students. 

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