1
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Wang Y, Chen T, Cui JF, Liu JL, Li TH, Du TJ. Comparison of trait and state mind wandering among schizotypal, subclinically depressed, and control individuals. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:422. [PMID: 38840083 PMCID: PMC11151557 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05871-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mind wandering is a common phenomenon in daily life. However, the manifestations and cognitive correlates of mind wandering in different subclinical populations remain unclear. In this study, these aspects were examined in individuals with schizotypal traits and individuals with depressive symptoms, i.e., subclinical populations of patients with schizophrenia and depression. METHODS Forty-two individuals with schizotypal traits, 42 individuals with subclinical depression, and 42 controls were recruited to complete a mind wandering thought sampling task (state level) and a mind wandering questionnaire (trait level). Measures of rumination and cognitive functions (attention, inhibition, and working memory) were also completed by participants. RESULTS Both subclinical groups exhibited more state and trait mind wandering than did the control group. Furthermore, individuals with schizotypal traits demonstrated more trait mind wandering than individuals with subclinical depression. Rumination, sustained attention, and working memory were associated with mind wandering. In addition, mind wandering in individuals with subclinical depression can be accounted for by rumination or attention, while mind wandering in individuals with high schizotypal traits cannot be accounted for by rumination, attention, or working memory. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that individuals with high schizotypal traits and subclinical depression have different patterns of mind wandering and mechanisms. These findings have implications for understanding the unique profile of mind wandering in subclinical individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Wang
- School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Baiduizi 23A, Haidian District, Beijing, 100073, China.
| | - Tao Chen
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ji-Fang Cui
- Institute of Educational Information and Statistics, National Academy of Educational Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Li Liu
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Healthy, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tian-Hong Li
- Department of Psychology, School of Medical Humanities, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
| | - Tian-Jiao Du
- Department of Psychology, School of Medical Humanities, China Medical University, No.77 Puhe Road, Shenyang North New Area, Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China.
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2
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Yeung RC, Fernandes MA. Recurrent involuntary memories and mind wandering are related but distinct. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2024:10.1007/s00426-024-01961-w. [PMID: 38652302 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-024-01961-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Spontaneous thought is common in daily life, and includes recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs; memories retrieved unintentionally and repetitively) and mind wandering (MW). Both recurrent IAMs and MW are often unintentional or unconstrained, and both predict symptoms of mental health disorders. However, not all MW is unintentional, and not all IAMs are unconstrained. To what extent do recurrent IAMs and MW converge versus diverge? Undergraduates (N = 2,701) completed self-report measures of recurrent IAMs, trait MW, and psychopathology (i.e., PTSD, depression, anxiety). Regressions indicated that recurrent IAMs were significantly associated with spontaneous MW, but not deliberate MW. Further, both spontaneous MW and recurrent IAMs had unique relationships with disorder symptoms. Results suggest that recurrent IAMs are related to MW to the extent that recurrent IAMs are spontaneous. Conversely, recurrent IAMs are distinct from MW to the extent that recurrent IAMs' associations with disorder symptoms could not be solely explained by trait MW (and vice versa). This work highlights related, but distinguishable, forms of spontaneous thought and their transdiagnostic links with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C Yeung
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
| | - Myra A Fernandes
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
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3
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Gaynor N, Fitzgerald L. Mind-Wandering and Its Relationship With Psychological Wellbeing and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptomatology in the Context of Covid-19. Psychol Rep 2023:332941231203563. [PMID: 37787173 DOI: 10.1177/00332941231203563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Mind-wandering (MW) as a research topic has received considerable attention over the last several decades. The recent differentiation between spontaneous and deliberate MW has suggested a particular effect of the former on psychopathology; in that increased spontaneous MW may precede mental illness. The present study sought to explore MW as a potential contributing factor to poor mental health in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. More specifically, we sought to determine firstly, whether the effects of MW frequency, type and content on subjective psychological wellbeing was consistent with previous findings after controlling for the impacts of Covid-related stress. Secondly, previous research has demonstrated an effect of both Covid-stress and spontaneous MW on the experience of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology (OCS), and so the present study explored this relationship further by assessing whether Covid-stress mediated the relationship between spontaneous MW and OCS. Participants completed measures of MW, OCS and psychological wellbeing through an online questionnaire. The results indicated that increased spontaneous MW was indicative of both poorer subjective psychological wellbeing and OCS, with Covid-stress partially mediating the relationship between spontaneous MW and OCS. Our findings provide further support for the adverse effect of unintentional MW on psychological wellbeing, as well as for the differentiation between both forms of the cognitive phenomenon. Additionally, they provide an important insight into one of the factors that may have preceded poor mental health among the Irish population during Covid-19. Future research may build upon the present study by exploring similar relationships among clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Gaynor
- School of Psychology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lisa Fitzgerald
- School of Psychology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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4
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Sodré ME, Wießner I, Irfan M, Schenck CH, Mota-Rolim SA. Awake or Sleeping? Maybe Both… A Review of Sleep-Related Dissociative States. J Clin Med 2023; 12:3876. [PMID: 37373570 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12123876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have begun to understand sleep not only as a whole-brain process but also as a complex local phenomenon controlled by specific neurotransmitters that act in different neural networks, which is called "local sleep". Moreover, the basic states of human consciousness-wakefulness, sleep onset (N1), light sleep (N2), deep sleep (N3), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep-can concurrently appear, which may result in different sleep-related dissociative states. In this article, we classify these sleep-related dissociative states into physiological, pathological, and altered states of consciousness. Physiological states are daydreaming, lucid dreaming, and false awakenings. Pathological states include sleep paralysis, sleepwalking, and REM sleep behavior disorder. Altered states are hypnosis, anesthesia, and psychedelics. We review the neurophysiology and phenomenology of these sleep-related dissociative states of consciousness and update them with recent studies. We conclude that these sleep-related dissociative states have a significant basic and clinical impact since their study contributes to the understanding of consciousness and the proper treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabel Wießner
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil
| | - Muna Irfan
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Carlos H Schenck
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sergio A Mota-Rolim
- Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59078-970, RN, Brazil
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5
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Pavlovian-based neurofeedback enhances meta-awareness of mind-wandering. Neural Netw 2023; 158:239-248. [PMID: 36473291 DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2022.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Absorption in mind-wandering (MW) may worsen our mood and can cause psychological disorders. Researchers indicate the possibility that meta-awareness of MW prevents these mal-effects and enhances favorable consequences of MW, such as boosting creativity; thus, meta-awareness has attracted psychological and clinical attention. However, few studies have investigated the nature of meta-awareness of MW, because there has been no method to isolate and operate this ability. Therefore, we propose a new approach to manipulate the ability of meta-awareness. We used Pavlovian conditioning, tying to it an occurrence of MW and a neutral tone sound inducing the meta-awareness of MW. To perform paired presentations of the unconditioned stimulus (neutral tone) and the conditioned stimulus (perception accompanying MW), we detected participants' natural occurrence of MW via electroencephalogram and a machine-learning estimation method. The double-blinded randomized controlled trial with 37 participants found that a single 20-min conditioning session significantly increased the meta-awareness of MW as assessed by behavioral and neuroscientific measures. The core protocol of the proposed method is real-time feedback on participants' neural information, and in that sense, we can refer to it as neurofeedback. However, there are some differences from typical neurofeedback protocols, and we discuss them in this paper. Our novel classical conditioning is expected to contribute to future research on the modulation effect of meta-awareness on MW.
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6
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Where Is My Mind…? The Link between Mind Wandering and Prospective Memory. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091139. [PMID: 36138875 PMCID: PMC9497275 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mind wandering (MW) is a common feature of the human experience occurring when our attention shifts from the task at hand to inner thoughts. MW seems to be often future-oriented and could be used to help people to carry out their planned actions (Prospective Memory PM). Here, we tested the link between MW and the ability to perform PM intentions. We assessed MW and PM over 15 days using experience-sampling probes via mobile phone (226 participants) associated with a naturalistic PM task. We confirmed that MW occupies a significant proportion of our mental activity (40%). This time seems to be mainly used to project ourselves into the future (64%), whether to anticipate and imagine the long term (20%) or to plan daily obligations (44%). Intriguingly, only past-oriented thoughts (9%) predict the PM performance. We discuss the possible functional role played by MW in maintaining intentions in mind.
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7
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Nyklíček I, Tinga AM, Spapens S. The relation between thinking and mood in daily life: The effects of content and context of thought. Conscious Cogn 2021; 95:103193. [PMID: 34450433 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The association between thought content and mood in daily life is far from established. The aim of the present investigation was to examine the role of content and context of thought in daily life mood (i) concurrent and across time, and (ii) as simple effects and as interactions between them. Participants were 50 university students (82% female), who completed experience sampling assessments for a week. Linear mixed-effects models showed that time and object aspects of thought were significantly associated with concurrent mood. In addition, interaction effects between object of thought and thought context (activity) significantly predicted concurrent, but not future, mood, sometimes showing a switch from a positive to a negative association in certain contexts. It is concluded that associations between thought content and mood in daily life (i) are depending on the activity context, and (ii) seem to be relatively short-lived in most cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Nyklíček
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders (CoRPS), Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
| | - Angelica M Tinga
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders (CoRPS), Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
| | - Silke Spapens
- Center of Research on Psychological and Somatic disorders (CoRPS), Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
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8
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Ozawa S, Yoshimoto H, Okanoya K, Hiraki K. Emotional Distraction by Constant Finger Tapping. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. This study examined the effects of emotional distraction in the context of recalling stressful interpersonal events in daily life. Previous studies have revealed that distraction decreases unpleasant emotions. In this study, we examined whether distraction tasks decrease unpleasant task-related thoughts in addition to unpleasant emotions. Furthermore, to investigate the implicit effects of emotional changes, we examined changes in pupil size in relation to unpleasant emotions and task-unrelated thoughts (TUT). The behavioral tasks were administered to 21 university students ( Mage = 21.24 ± 2.93 years; range: 18–30 years). After excluding participants for poor data quality, 16 (21.31 ± 3.34 years; 18–30 years) were included for further pupil data analysis. As an emotion induction procedure, participants were asked to freely recall memories of stressful interpersonal events in their daily lives and were given a series of questions about their recalled memories, which were presented on the monitor. In the following distraction experiment, questions during the emotion induction procedure were represented as emotional stimulation; a distraction task (non-constant or constant finger tapping) or rest condition was then performed; subsequently, ratings were given for attentional state, thought types conceived during the tasks, and emotional state. Upon analysis, differences in the ratings for unpleasant emotion and TUT were non-significant between all conditions. Nevertheless, pupil dilation in the non-constant and constant conditions was associated with decreased unpleasant emotions ( p < .05; p < .05 to .01). More importantly, pupil dilation was associated with decreased unpleasant TUT ( p < .05) only in the constant condition. Although the observed effects were subtle, we found that constant finger tapping decreased unpleasant emotions and TUT. It is expected for a future emotion regulation study to further investigate the effects in the relationships among emotions, thoughts, and physiological states, which can help in coping with unpleasant emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachiyo Ozawa
- UTokyo Center for Integrative Science of Human Behavior (CiSHuB), Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Kazuo Okanoya
- UTokyo Center for Integrative Science of Human Behavior (CiSHuB), Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuo Hiraki
- Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Zukosky M, Wang RF. Spontaneous state alternations in the time course of mind wandering. Cognition 2021; 212:104689. [PMID: 33780750 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
It's a common assumption that people's mental state timeline can be divided into a sequence of focus-mind wandering episodes, each comprises a focusing stage followed by a mind wandering stage. Accordingly, probability of being in a focus state should be high early in an episode and decrease overtime. We investigated the dynamics of shifting between meditation and off task thoughts by systematically probing participants at various time points during a focus-mind wandering episode. Contrary to predictions of the two-stage model, there's no significant decrease in probability of focus state during a focus-mind wandering episode. Simulations matching parameters of each participant suggest that the lack of this negative trend was not due to statistical power. Instead, people may have multiple spontaneous alternations between meditation and off task thoughts before they are able to catch themselves mind wandering. Based on this Multiple Sub-event Model, a novel method was developed to estimate the number of sub-events during a focus-mind wandering episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meera Zukosky
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
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10
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Wang P, Cao W, Chen T, Gao J, Liu Y, Yang X, Meng F, Sun J, Li Z. Mediating Role of Rumination and Negative Affect in the Effect of Mind-Wandering on Symptoms in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:755159. [PMID: 34721118 PMCID: PMC8551573 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.755159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To explore the relationship between negative affect, mind-wandering, rumination and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, 100 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 100 healthy controls were assessed using the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Mind Wandering Scale and the Ruminative Response Scale. The results show that (i) patients diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder displayed higher obsessive-compulsive symptoms, negative affect, mind-wandering and rumination compared with healthy controls; (ii) negative affect, mind-wandering and rumination were positively correlated with the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms; (iii) mind-wandering predicted the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (both directly and indirectly); (iv) rumination and negative affect mediated the relationship between mind-wandering and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The results preliminarily reveal the relationship between mind-wandering and psychopathological obsessive-compulsive symptoms, providing a reference for exploring novel psychological treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchong Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenwen Cao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Brain and Mind Center, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jian Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyun Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Fanqiang Meng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Zhanjiang Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Centre for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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11
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In Medio Stat Virtus: intermediate levels of mind wandering improve episodic memory encoding in a virtual environment. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2020; 85:1613-1625. [PMID: 32447446 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01358-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Episodic memory encoding is highly influenced by the availability of attentional resources. Mind wandering corresponds to a shift of attention toward task-unrelated thoughts. Few studies, however, have tested this link between memory encoding and mind wandering. The goal of the present work was to systematically investigate the influence of mind wandering during encoding on episodic memory performances in an ecological setting. Fifty-two participants were asked to navigate in a virtual urban environment. During the walk, they encountered different scenes that, unbeknownst to the participants, were target items presented in a subsequent recognition task associated with a Remember-Know-Guess paradigm. Each item triggered, after a random interval, a thought probe assessing current mind wandering. We found a significant linear positive relationship between the ratio of correctly recognized items and the overall mind wandering reported after the task. Moreover, we found a quadratic reversed U-shaped relationship between the probability of giving a 'Remember' response and both on-line and mind wandering reported a posteriori. The nearer to the medium value the level of mind wandering was, the higher was the probability to have a recollection-based recognition. Our results indicate that in a complex environment, the highest probability of actually remembering a scene would be when participants present a medium attentional level: neither distracted by inner thoughts nor too focused on the environment. This open attentional state would allow a better global processing of the environment by preventing one's attention from being captured by internal thoughts or narrowed by an over-focusing on the environment.
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12
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Trigueros R, García-Tascón M, Gallardo AM, Alías A, Aguilar-Parra JM. The Influence of the Teacher's Prosocial Skills on the Mindwandering, Creative Intelligence, Emotions, and Academic Performance of Secondary Students in the Area of Physical Education Classes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17041437. [PMID: 32102274 PMCID: PMC7068334 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17041437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Physical Education classes are a key context for the development of creativity due to interactions with peers and the resolution of complex motor skills. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the influence of the teacher's social behaviors on the mindwandering, emotional state, and academic performance of Physical Education students. The study involved 606 high school students and 36 physical education teachers. A structural equation model was used to analyze the relationship between the variables of the study. The results showed how the teacher's prosocial and antisocial behaviors had a negative influence on mindwandering. In turn, mindwandering negatively predicted creative intelligence. Likewise, creative intelligence positively predicted a positive emotional state and academic performance and negatively predicted a negative emotional state. Finally, a positive emotional state positively predicted academic performance, while a negative emotional state predicted it negatively. Therefore, the results achieved in the study showed how mindwandering should be promoted in the educational field as a means of encouraging creativity and therefore increasing the well-being of students, which is conducive to academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Trigueros
- Department of Psychology, Hum-878 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.T.); (J.M.A.-P.)
| | - Marta García-Tascón
- Faculty of Sports Science, Univeridad Pablo de Olavide, 41704 Seville, Spain;
| | - Ana M. Gallardo
- Faculty of Sports, Saint Anthony Catholic University, 30107 Guadalupe-Murcia, Spain;
| | - Antonio Alías
- Department of Education, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain;
| | - José M. Aguilar-Parra
- Department of Psychology, Hum-878 Research Team, Health Research Centre, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Correspondence: (R.T.); (J.M.A.-P.)
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13
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Guesdon A, Lejeune FX, Rotgé JY, George N, Fossati P. Mind-Wandering Changes in Dysphoria. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:544999. [PMID: 33192659 PMCID: PMC7533624 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.544999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in mind-wandering (MW) and involuntary autobiographical memory (IAM) in dysphoria have been explored with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to evaluate both MW and IAM in a group of 23 stable dysphoric participants compared to 37 controls and to compare their thoughts characteristics (i.e., specificity, visual perspective, time orientation, and emotional valence). To make this study comparable with previous research, we used two different monotonous vigilance tasks (with and without verbal interference stimuli). Our results showed a significantly greater focus on MW thoughts in dysphoria. The characteristics of spontaneous thoughts content did not differ significantly between our dysphoric participants and controls, which is not in favor of strong emotional dysfunction. Our results suggest a difficulty to regulate the occurrence of self-generated thoughts rather than their content, that may confer to dysphoric subjects increased cognitive risk to develop a major depressive episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Guesdon
- Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), UM75, CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - François-Xavier Lejeune
- Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), UM75, CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Rotgé
- Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), UM75, CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Department of Adults Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Nathalie George
- Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), UM75, CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Fossati
- Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), UM75, CNRS UMR 7225, Inserm U1127, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Department of Adults Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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14
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Kostyrka-Allchorne K, Cooper NR, Kennett S, Nestler S, Simpson A. The Short-Term Effect of Video Editing Pace on Children's Inhibition and N2 and P3 ERP Components during Visual Go/No-Go Task. Dev Neuropsychol 2019; 44:385-396. [PMID: 31203657 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2019.1630628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the immediate consequences of differently paced videos on behaviour and neural activity during response inhibition. Forty 7-year-olds watched a fast- or slow-paced video and completed a go/no-go task. Compared to the slow-paced-video group, children in the fast-paced-video group made more no-go errors. There was also an interaction between pace and no-go response type (correct, wrong) for the N2 and P3 peak latencies. In the slow-paced group, both components peaked earlier for correct response withholds. This usual pattern of activation was absent in the fast-paced group. Video pace appears to affect behaviour and the neural responses involved in inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kostyrka-Allchorne
- a Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , King's College London , London , UK
| | - Nicholas R Cooper
- b Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology , University of Essex , London , UK
| | - Steffan Kennett
- b Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology , University of Essex , London , UK
| | - Steffen Nestler
- c Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience , King's College London , London , UK
| | - Andrew Simpson
- b Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology , University of Essex , London , UK
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15
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Ruminative minds, wandering minds: Effects of rumination and mind wandering on lexical associations, pitch imitation and eye behaviour. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207578. [PMID: 30452479 PMCID: PMC6242373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study demonstrates that rumination is reflected in two behavioural signals that both play an important role in face-to-face interactions and provides evidence for the negative impact of rumination on social cognition. Sixty-one students were randomly assigned either to a condition in which rumination was induced or to a control condition. Their task was to play a speech-based word association game with an Embodied Conversational Agent during which their word associations, pitch imitation and eye movements were measured. Two questionnaires assessed their ruminative tendencies and mind wandering thoughts, respectively. Rumination predicted differences in task-related mind wandering, polarity of lexical associations, pitch imitation, and blinks while mind wandering predicted differences in saccades. This outcome may show that rumination has a negative impact on certain aspects of social interactions.
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Schneck N, Tu T, Bonanno GA, Shear MK, Sajda P, Mann JJ. Self-generated Unconscious Processing of Loss Linked to Less Severe Grieving. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 4:271-279. [PMID: 30262338 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The intense loss processing that characterizes grieving may help people to adapt to the loss. However, empirical studies show that more conscious loss-related thinking and greater reactivity to reminders of the deceased correspond to poorer adaptation. These findings raise the possibility that loss processing that is unconscious rather than conscious and is self-generated rather than reactive may facilitate adaptation. Here, we used machine learning to detect a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signature of self-generated unconscious loss processing that we hypothesized to correlate with lower grief severity. METHODS A total of 29 subjects bereaved within the past 14 months participated. Participants performed a modified Stroop fMRI task using deceased-related words. A machine-learning regression, trained on Stroop fMRI data, learned a neural pattern for deceased-related selective attention (d-SA), the allocation of attention to the deceased. Expression of this pattern was tracked during a subsequent sustained attention fMRI task interspersed with deceased-related thought probes (SART-PROBES). d-SA pattern expression during SART-PROBES blocks without reported thoughts of loss indicated self-generated unconscious loss processing. Grief severity was measured with the Inventory for Complicated Grief. RESULTS d-SA expression during SART-PROBES blocks without conscious deceased-related thinking correlated negatively with Inventory for Complicated Grief score (r25 = -.711, p < .001, 95% confidence interval = -0.89 to -0.42), accounting for 50% of variance. This relationship remained significant independent of demographic correlates of Inventory for Complicated Grief (B25 = -30, t = -2.64, p = .02, 95% confidence interval = -56.2 to -4.6). Unconscious d-SA pattern expression also correlated with activity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporal parietal junction during the SART-PROBES (voxel: p < .001, cluster: p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Self-generated unconscious loss processing correlated with reduced grief severity. This activity, supported by a cognitive social neural architecture, may advance adaptation to the loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Schneck
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York.
| | - Tao Tu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - George A Bonanno
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - M Katherine Shear
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York; School of Social Work, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Paul Sajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, New York; Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - J John Mann
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
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Vandevoorde J, Sanchez Valero A, Baudoin E, Kamar S, Chabert B, Baudoin T. Measurement of flow of thought in 68 patients monitored in post-emergency outpatient consultations: Role of ideational turmoil in the anxiety depressive symptomatology. Encephale 2018; 44:308-314. [DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Desideri L, Ottaviani C, Cecchetto C, Bonifacci P. Mind wandering, together with test anxiety and self-efficacy, predicts student's academic self-concept but not reading comprehension skills. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 89:307-323. [PMID: 30039857 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mind wandering (MW) has commonly been linked to bad scholastic performance; however, such association has rarely been investigated in the classroom. Moreover, in examining such association, motivational variables have been largely ignored. AIM We aimed at examining the associations between the dispositional tendency to engage in MW and a series of reading comprehension skills and measures of academic self-concept above and beyond the role of sex, age, test anxiety, self-efficacy, and self-regulation strategies. SAMPLE Late adolescents (N = 272, 133 females; 17.23 ± 1.10 years) recruited from 15 classes in public high schools. METHODS Students were examined in their classroom during regular teaching activities and first performed a reading comprehension test. Then, they underwent a battery assessing literacy skills, academic self-concept, the dispositional tendency to mind wander, and aspects related to self-regulated learning. RESULTS Reading comprehension and literacy skills (decoding, orthographic awareness, spelling skills, and phonological abilities) were not associated with the tendency to mind wander. Instead, MW, test anxiety, and self-efficacy - but not self-regulatory strategies - were independent predictors of academic self-concept. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the importance of evaluating the effects of MW on academic self-concept, taking into account a complex pattern of motivational and emotional variables.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.,Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Fox KCR, Andrews-Hanna JR, Mills C, Dixon ML, Markovic J, Thompson E, Christoff K. Affective neuroscience of self-generated thought. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1426:25-51. [PMID: 29754412 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing scientific interest in self-generated thought-mental content largely independent of the immediate environment-there has yet to be any comprehensive synthesis of the subjective experience and neural correlates of affect in these forms of thinking. Here, we aim to develop an integrated affective neuroscience encompassing many forms of self-generated thought-normal and pathological, moderate and excessive, in waking and in sleep. In synthesizing existing literature on this topic, we reveal consistent findings pertaining to the prevalence, valence, and variability of emotion in self-generated thought, and highlight how these factors might interact with self-generated thought to influence general well-being. We integrate these psychological findings with recent neuroimaging research, bringing attention to the neural correlates of affect in self-generated thought. We show that affect in self-generated thought is prevalent, positively biased, highly variable (both within and across individuals), and consistently recruits many brain areas implicated in emotional processing, including the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, insula, and medial prefrontal cortex. Many factors modulate these typical psychological and neural patterns, however; the emerging affective neuroscience of self-generated thought must endeavor to link brain function and subjective experience in both everyday self-generated thought as well as its dysfunctions in mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran C R Fox
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jessica R Andrews-Hanna
- Department of Psychology and Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Caitlin Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Matthew L Dixon
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jelena Markovic
- Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Evan Thompson
- Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kalina Christoff
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Kuehner C, Welz A, Reinhard I, Alpers GW. Lab meets real life: A laboratory assessment of spontaneous thought and its ecological validity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184488. [PMID: 28910351 PMCID: PMC5598976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
People's minds frequently wander towards self-generated thoughts, which are unrelated to external stimuli or demands. These phenomena, referred to as "spontaneous thought" (ST) and "mind wandering" (MW), have previously been linked with both costs and benefits. Current assessments of ST and MW have predominantly been conducted in the laboratory, whereas studies on the ecological validity of such lab-related constructs and their interrelations are rare. The current study examined the stability of ST dimensions assessed in the lab and their predictive value with respect to MW, repetitive negative thought (uncontrollable rumination, RUM), and affect in daily life. Forty-three university students were assessed with the Amsterdam Resting State Questionnaire (2nd version) to assess ten ST dimensions during the resting state in two laboratory sessions, which were separated by five days of electronic ambulatory assessment (AA). During AA, individuals indicated the intensity of MW and RUM, as well as of positive and negative affect in daily life ten times a day. ST dimensions measured in the lab were moderately stable across one week. Five out of ten ST lab dimensions were predicted by mental health-related symptoms or by dispositional cognitive traits. Hierarchical linear models revealed that a number of ST lab dimensions predicted cognitive and affective states in daily life. Mediation analyses showed that RUM, but not MW per se, accounted for the relationship between specific ST lab dimensions and mood in daily life. By using a simple resting state task, we could demonstrate that a number of lab dimensions of spontaneous thought are moderately stable, are predicted by mental health symptoms and cognitive traits, and show plausible associations with categories of self-generated thought and mood in daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Kuehner
- Research Group Longitudinal and Intervention Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Annett Welz
- Research Group Longitudinal and Intervention Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Georg W. Alpers
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, and Otto-Selz-Institute, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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Schneck N, Haufe S, Tu T, Bonanno GA, Ochsner K, Sajda P, Mann JJ. Tracking Deceased-Related Thinking with Neural Pattern Decoding of a Cortical-Basal Ganglia Circuit. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:421-429. [PMID: 28730182 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deceased-related thinking is central to grieving and potentially critical to processing of the loss. Self-report measurements might fail to capture important elements of deceased-related thinking and processing. Here, we used a machine learning approach applied to fMRI - known as neural decoding - to develop a measure of ongoing deceased-related processing. METHODS 23 subjects grieving the loss of a first-degree relative, spouse or partner within 14 months underwent two fMRI tasks. They first viewed pictures and stories related to the deceased, a living control and a demographic control figure while providing ongoing valence and arousal ratings. Second, they performed a 10-minute Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) with thought probes every 25-35 seconds to identify deceased, living and self-related thoughts. RESULTS A conjunction analysis, controlling for valence/arousal, identified neural clusters in basal ganglia, orbital prefrontal cortex and insula associated with both types of deceased-related stimuli vs. the two control conditions in the first task. This pattern was applied to fMRI data collected during the SART, and discriminated deceased-related but not living or self-related thoughts, independently of grief-severity and time since loss. Deceased-related thoughts on the SART correlated with self-reported avoidance. The neural model predicted avoidance over and above deceased-related thoughts. CONCLUSIONS A neural pattern trained to identify mental representations of the deceased tracked deceased-related thinking during a sustained attention task and also predicted subject-level avoidance. This approach provides a new imaging tool to be used as an index of processing the deceased for future studies of complicated grief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Schneck
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Stefan Haufe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY.,Machine Learning Group, Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin
| | - Tao Tu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - George A Bonanno
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Kevin Ochsner
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Paul Sajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - J John Mann
- Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY
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Salavera C, Urcola-Pardo F, Usán P, Jarie L. Translation and validation of the Mind-Wandering Test for Spanish adolescents. PSICOLOGIA-REFLEXAO E CRITICA 2017; 30:12. [PMID: 32026091 PMCID: PMC6963992 DOI: 10.1186/s41155-017-0066-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Working memory capacity and fluent intelligence influence cognitive capacity as a predictive value of success. In line with this, one matter appears, that of mind wandering, which partly explains the variability in the results obtained from the subjects who do these tests. A recently developed measure to evaluate this phenomenon is the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ). OBJECTIVE The objective of this work was to translate into Spanish the MWQ for its use with adolescents and to validate it and to analyze its relation with these values: self-esteem, dispositional mindfulness, satisfaction with life, happiness, and positive and negative affects. METHODS A sample of 543 secondary students: 270 males (49.72%) and 273 females (50.28%) were used, who completed the questionnaire, and also did tests of self-esteem, dispositional mindfulness, satisfaction with life, happiness, and positive and negative effects. The transcultural adaptation process followed these steps: translation, back translation, evaluation of translations by a panel of judges, and testing the final version. RESULTS Validity analyses were done of the construct (% explained variance = 52.1), and internal consistency was high (α = .766). The coefficients of correlation with the self-esteem, MASS, satisfaction with life, happiness, and affects scales confirmed the questionnaire's validity, and a multiple regression analysis (R 2 = 34.1; model F = 24.19. p < 0.001) was run. CONCLUSIONS The Spanish version of the questionnaire obtained good reliability coefficients and its factorial structure reliably replicated that obtained by the original measure. The results indicate that the Spanish version of the MWQ is a suitably valid measure to evaluate the mind-wandering phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Salavera
- Research Group OPIICS, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, c/ Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Fernando Urcola-Pardo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, c/Violante de Hungría, s/n, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pablo Usán
- Research Group OPIICS, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, c/ Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Laurane Jarie
- Research Group OPIICS, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- Faculty of Education, University of Zaragoza, c/ Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
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A closer look at the relationship between the default network, mind wandering, negative mood, and depression. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017; 17:697-711. [DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0506-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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24
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Metacognitive beliefs mediate the relationship between mind wandering and negative affect. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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25
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Marchetti I, Koster EH, Klinger E, Alloy LB. Spontaneous Thought and Vulnerability to Mood Disorders: The Dark Side of the Wandering Mind. Clin Psychol Sci 2016; 4:835-857. [PMID: 28785510 PMCID: PMC5544025 DOI: 10.1177/2167702615622383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in spontaneous thought, namely task-unrelated or rest-related mental activity. Spontaneous thought is an umbrella term for processes like mindwandering, involuntary autobiographical memory, and daydreaming, with evidence elucidating adaptive and maladaptive consequences. In this theoretical framework, we propose that, apart from its positive functions, spontaneous thought is a precursor for cognitive vulnerability in individuals who are at-risk for mood disorders. Importantly, spontaneous thought mostly focuses on unattained goals and evaluates the discrepancy between current and desired status (Klinger, 1971, 2013a). In individuals who stably (i.e., trait negative affectivity) or transitorily (i.e., stress) experience negative emotions in reaction to goal-discrepancy, spontaneous thought fosters major cognitive vulnerabilities (e.g., rumination, hopelessness, low self-esteem, and cognitive reactivity) which, in turn, enhance depression. Furthermore, we also highlight preliminary links between spontaneous thought and bipolar disorder. The evidence for this framework is reviewed and we discuss theoretical and clinical implications of our proposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Marchetti
- Ghent University, Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Ernst H.W. Koster
- Ghent University, Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Eric Klinger
- University of Minnesota, Morris, Psychology Discipline, Division of Social Sciences, Morris, MN 56267, USA
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Temple University, Department of Psychology, Weiss Hall, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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26
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Luo Y, Zhu R, Ju E, You X. Validation of the Chinese version of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) and the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between mind-wandering and life satisfaction for adolescents. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Poerio GL, Totterdell P, Emerson LM, Miles E. Love is the triumph of the imagination: Daydreams about significant others are associated with increased happiness, love and connection. Conscious Cogn 2015; 33:135-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Role of triggers and dysphoria in mind-wandering about past, present and future: A laboratory study. Conscious Cogn 2015; 33:261-76. [PMID: 25676320 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
To bridge the related but separate areas of research on mind-wandering and Involuntary Autobiographical Memory (IAM), the frequency and temporal focus of task unrelated thoughts about past, present, and future was compared in 19 dysphoric and 21 non-dysphoric participants, using a modified laboratory method for studying IAMs. Participants were stopped 11 times during a 15-min vigilance task and recorded their thoughts at that moment. In both groups, most thoughts were spontaneous, task-unrelated, and triggered by irrelevant cue-words on the screen with negative words being more likely to trigger past memories and positive cues - thoughts about future. Both groups reported more past memories than current or future thoughts, but differences emerged in the type of future thought experienced: non-dysphoric participants reported more planning thoughts, and dysphoric participants more abstract hypothetical thoughts. The results suggest that some findings from IAM research regarding cues and the impact of dysphoria may be generalizable to mind-wandering.
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Unsworth N, McMillan BD. Similarities and differences between mind-wandering and external distraction: a latent variable analysis of lapses of attention and their relation to cognitive abilities. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2014; 150:14-25. [PMID: 24793128 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Revised: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study examined the extent to which task-unrelated thoughts represent both vulnerability to mind-wandering and susceptibility to external distraction from an individual difference perspective. Participants performed multiple measures of attention control, working memory capacity, and fluid intelligence. Task-unrelated thoughts were assessed using thought probes during the attention control tasks. Using latent variable techniques, the results suggested that mind-wandering and external distraction reflect distinct, yet correlated constructs, both of which are related to working memory capacity and fluid intelligence. Furthermore, the results suggest that the common variance shared by mind-wandering, external distraction, and attention control is what primarily accounts for their relation with working memory capacity and fluid intelligence. These results support the notion that lapses of attention are strongly related to cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nash Unsworth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, United States.
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Marchetti I, Van de Putte E, Koster EHW. Self-generated thoughts and depression: from daydreaming to depressive symptoms. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:131. [PMID: 24672458 PMCID: PMC3957030 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human minds often engage in thoughts and feelings that are self-generated rather than stimulus-dependent, such as daydreaming. Recent research suggests that under certain circumstances, daydreaming is associated with adverse effects on cognition and affect. Based on recent literature about the influence of resting mind in relation to rumination and depression, this questionnaire study investigated mechanisms linking daydreaming to depressive symptoms. Specifically, an indirect effect model was tested in which daydreaming influences depressive symptoms through enhancing self-focus and ruminative thought. Results were in line with the hypothesis and several alternative pathways were ruled out. The results provide initial supportive evidence that daydreaming can influence depressive symptoms through influences on self-focus and rumination. Further research should use prospective or experimental designs to further validate and strengthen these conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Marchetti
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent UniversityGhent, Belgium
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Carciofo R, Du F, Song N, Zhang K. Mind wandering, sleep quality, affect and chronotype: an exploratory study. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91285. [PMID: 24609107 PMCID: PMC3946719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Poor sleep quality impairs cognition, including executive functions and concentration, but there has been little direct research on the relationships between sleep quality and mind wandering or daydreaming. Evening chronotype is associated with poor sleep quality, more mind wandering and more daydreaming; negative affect is also a mutual correlate. This exploratory study investigated how mind wandering and daydreaming are related to different aspects of sleep quality, and whether sleep quality influences the relationships between mind wandering/daydreaming and negative affect, and mind wandering/daydreaming and chronotype. Three surveys (Ns = 213; 190; 270) were completed with Chinese adults aged 18-50, including measures of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, mind wandering, daydreaming, chronotype and affect (positive and negative). Higher frequencies of mind wandering and daydreaming were associated with poorer sleep quality, in particular with poor subjective sleep quality and increased sleep latency, night-time disturbance, daytime dysfunction and daytime sleepiness. Poor sleep quality was found to partially mediate the relationships between daydreaming and negative affect, and mind wandering and negative affect. Additionally, low positive affect and poor sleep quality, in conjunction, fully mediated the relationships between chronotype and mind wandering, and chronotype and daydreaming. The relationships between mind wandering/daydreaming and positive affect were also moderated by chronotype, being weaker in those with a morning preference. Finally, while daytime sleepiness was positively correlated with daydream frequency, it was negatively correlated with a measure of problem-solving daydreams, indicating that more refined distinctions between different forms of daydreaming or mind wandering are warranted. Overall, the evidence is suggestive of a bi-directional relationship between poor sleep quality and mind wandering/daydreaming, which may be important in attempts to deal with sleep problems and improve sleep quality. These findings and further research on this topic may also have implications for definitions and theories of mind wandering and daydreaming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Carciofo
- Key Laboratory of Behavorial Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Du
- Key Laboratory of Behavorial Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Nan Song
- Training College, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
| | - Kan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavorial Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Gruberger M, Maron-Katz A, Sharon H, Hendler T, Ben-Simon E. The wandering mood: psychological and neural determinants of rest-related negative affect. Front Psychol 2013; 4:961. [PMID: 24421771 PMCID: PMC3872732 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rest related negative affect (RRNA) has gained scientific interest in the past decade. However, it is mostly studied within the context of mind-wandering (MW), and the relevance of other psychological and neural aspects of the resting state to its’ occurrence has never been studied. Several indications associate RRNA with internally directed attention, yet the nature of this relation remains largely unknown. Moreover, the role of neural networks associated with rest related phenomenology – the default mode (DMN), executive (EXE), and salience (SAL) networks, has not been studied in this context. To this end, we explored two 5 (baseline) and 15-minute resting-state simultaneous fMRI-EEG scans of 29 participants. As vigilance has been shown to affect attention, and thus its availability for inward allocation, EEG-based vigilance levels were computed for each participant. Questionnaires for affective assessment were administered before and after scans, and retrospective reports of MW were additionally collected. Results revealed increased negative affect following rest, but only among participants who retained high vigilance levels. Among low-vigilance participants, changes in negative affect were negligible, despite reports of MW occurrence in both groups. In addition, in the high-vigilance group only, a significant increase in functional connectivity (FC) levels was found between the DMN-related ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), associated with emotional processing, and the EXE-related dorsal ACC, associated with monitoring of self and other’s behavior. These heightened FC levels further correlated with reported negative affect among this group. Taken together, these results demonstrate that, rather than an unavoidable outcome of the resting state, RRNA depends on internal allocation of attention at rest. Results are discussed in terms of two rest-related possible scenarios which defer in mental and neural processing, and subsequently, in the occurrence of RRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Gruberger
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel ; School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adi Maron-Katz
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel ; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Haggai Sharon
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel ; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Talma Hendler
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel ; School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel ; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eti Ben-Simon
- Functional Brain Center, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel ; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv, Israel
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Andrews-Hanna JR, Kaiser RH, Turner AEJ, Reineberg AE, Godinez D, Dimidjian S, Banich MT. A penny for your thoughts: dimensions of self-generated thought content and relationships with individual differences in emotional wellbeing. Front Psychol 2013; 4:900. [PMID: 24376427 PMCID: PMC3843223 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A core aspect of human cognition involves overcoming the constraints of the present environment by mentally simulating another time, place, or perspective. Although these self-generated processes confer many benefits, they can come at an important cost, and this cost is greater for some individuals than for others. Here we explore the possibility that the costs and benefits of self-generated thought depend, in part, upon its phenomenological content. To test these hypotheses, we first developed a novel thought sampling paradigm in which a large sample of young adults recalled several recurring thoughts and rated each thought on multiple content variables (i.e., valence, specificity, self-relevance, etc.). Next, we examined multi-level relationships among these content variables and used a hierarchical clustering approach to partition self-generated thought into distinct dimensions. Finally, we investigated whether these content dimensions predicted individual differences in the costs and benefits of the experience, assessed with questionnaires measuring emotional health and wellbeing. Individuals who characterized their thoughts as more negative and more personally significant scored higher on constructs associated with Depression and Trait Negative Affect, whereas those who characterized their thoughts as less specific scored higher on constructs linked to Rumination. In contrast, individuals who characterized their thoughts as more positive, less personally significant, and more specific scored higher on constructs linked to improved wellbeing (Mindfulness). Collectively, these findings suggest that the content of people’s inner thoughts can (1) be productively examined, (2) be distilled into several major dimensions, and (3) account for a large portion of variability in their functional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roselinde H Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Amy E J Turner
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Andrew E Reineberg
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Detre Godinez
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Sona Dimidjian
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Marie T Banich
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA ; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO, USA
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Murphy F, Macpherson K, Jeyabalasingham T, Manly T, Dunn B. Modulating mind-wandering in dysphoria. Front Psychol 2013; 4:888. [PMID: 24348442 PMCID: PMC3841720 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is associated with significant difficulty staying “in the moment” as the mind tends to wander away from current activity to focus instead on personal concerns. Mind-wandering (MW) may in some instances be a precursor for depressive rumination, a thinking style believed to confer vulnerability to the likelihood and extent of depression. Thus, MW may be not only a consequence but also a cause of low mood. Identifying a paradigm that could modulate MW, particularly in depressed individuals, would allow future studies to test whether elevated rates of MW causally drive cognitive-affective features of depression, such as rumination and anhedonia. This study therefore explored the feasibility of using an existing task manipulation to modulate behavioral and self-report indices of MW in participants with varying levels of self-reported dysphoria. Participants completed two go/no-go tasks—the SART and a high target probability task—and measures of state and trait MW. The two tasks were identical in all respects apart from the lower probability of no-go targets on the SART, a feature considered to encourage mindless, or inattentive, responding. Across participants, errors of commission (a behavioral indicator of MW) were elevated on the SART relative to the high probability task, a pattern that was particularly pronounced in dysphoric participants. Dysphoric individuals furthermore reported elevated levels of MW, though the modulation of these subjective reports by task was present to a similar rather than greater extent in the dysphoric individuals. These findings provide encouraging preliminary support for the use of this paradigm as one that modulates MW in depressed individuals. The implications of these results and directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tom Manly
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit Cambridge, UK
| | - Barnaby Dunn
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit Cambridge, UK
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Allen M, Smallwood J, Christensen J, Gramm D, Rasmussen B, Jensen CG, Roepstorff A, Lutz A. The balanced mind: the variability of task-unrelated thoughts predicts error monitoring. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:743. [PMID: 24223545 PMCID: PMC3819597 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-generated thoughts unrelated to ongoing activities, also known as "mind-wandering," make up a substantial portion of our daily lives. Reports of such task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) predict both poor performance on demanding cognitive tasks and blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activity in the default mode network (DMN). However, recent findings suggest that TUTs and the DMN can also facilitate metacognitive abilities and related behaviors. To further understand these relationships, we examined the influence of subjective intensity, ruminative quality, and variability of mind-wandering on response inhibition and monitoring, using the Error Awareness Task (EAT). We expected to replicate links between TUT and reduced inhibition, and explored whether variance in TUT would predict improved error monitoring, reflecting a capacity to balance between internal and external cognition. By analyzing BOLD responses to subjective probes and the EAT, we dissociated contributions of the DMN, executive, and salience networks to task performance. While both response inhibition and online TUT ratings modulated BOLD activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the DMN, the former recruited a more dorsal area implying functional segregation. We further found that individual differences in mean TUTs strongly predicted EAT stop accuracy, while TUT variability specifically predicted levels of error awareness. Interestingly, we also observed co-activation of salience and default mode regions during error awareness, supporting a link between monitoring and TUTs. Altogether our results suggest that although TUT is detrimental to task performance, fluctuations in attention between self-generated and external task-related thought is a characteristic of individuals with greater metacognitive monitoring capacity. Achieving a balance between internally and externally oriented thought may thus aid individuals in optimizing their task performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah Allen
- MindLAB, Aarhus University Hospital Aarhus, Denmark ; Department of Culture and Society, Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University Aarhus, Denmark
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Mind-wandering and negative mood: does one thing really lead to another? Conscious Cogn 2013; 22:1412-21. [PMID: 24149091 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Mind-wandering is closely connected with negative mood. Whether negative mood is a cause or consequence of mind-wandering remains an important, unresolved, issue. We sought to clarify the direction of this relationship by measuring mood before and after mind-wandering. We also measured the affective content, time-orientation and relevance of mind-wandering to current concerns to explore whether the link between mind-wandering and negative mood might be explained by these characteristics. A novel experience-sampling technique with smartphone application prompted participants to answer questions about mind-wandering and mood across 7 days. While sadness tended to precede mind-wandering, mind-wandering itself was not associated with later mood and only predicted feeling worse if its content was negative. We also found prior sadness predicted retrospective mind-wandering, and prior negative mood predicted mind-wandering to current concerns. Our findings provide new insight into how mood and mind-wandering relate but suggest mind-wandering is not inherently detrimental to well-being.
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Mason MF, Brown K, Mar RA, Smallwood J. Driver of discontent or escape vehicle: the affective consequences of mindwandering. Front Psychol 2013; 4:477. [PMID: 23898317 PMCID: PMC3722495 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An emerging body of evidence suggests that our penchant for entertaining thoughts that are unrelated to ongoing activities might be a detriment to our emotional wellbeing. In light of this evidence, researchers have posited that mindwandering is a cause rather than a manifestation of discontent. We review the evidence in support of this viewpoint. We then consider this evidence in a broader context-with regards to mindwandering's antecedents, respecting the observation that people frequently find pleasure in their off-task moments, and in light of the lay beliefs people hold about its causes. We report data from two studies that speak to the potential challenges of establishing a definitive causal link between mindwandering and wellbeing. First, to advance the idea that mindwandering can convey affective benefits, in spite of negative feelings about mental disengagement, we examined cortical responses in a unique individual who presents with a long history of excessive-but enjoyable-task-irrelevant thinking. Second, to explore the idea that lay beliefs about mindwandering may substantially color the affective responses people have to a mindwandering episode, we surveyed people's beliefs about mindwandering's antecedents and related them to the affective reactions people anticipated to off-task moments. Our hope is to provide a nuanced evaluation of the available evidence for the assertion that mindwandering causes unhappiness, and to provide a clear direction forward to better evaluate this possibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malia F Mason
- Management Division, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
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Stawarczyk D, Cassol H, D'Argembeau A. Phenomenology of future-oriented mind-wandering episodes. Front Psychol 2013; 4:425. [PMID: 23882236 PMCID: PMC3712143 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research suggests that prospective and non-prospective forms of mind-wandering possess distinct properties, yet little is known about what exactly differentiates between future-oriented and non-future-oriented mind-wandering episodes. In the present study, we used multilevel exploratory factor analyses (MEFA) to examine the factorial structure of various phenomenological dimensions of mind-wandering, and we then investigated whether future-oriented mind-wandering episodes differ from other classes of mind-wandering along the identified factors. We found that the phenomenological dimensions of mind-wandering are structured in four factors: representational format (inner speech vs. visual imagery), personal relevance, realism/concreteness, and structuration. Prospective mind-wandering differed from non-prospective mind-wandering along each of these factors. Specifically, future-oriented mind-wandering episodes involved inner speech to a greater extent, were more personally relevant, more realistic/concrete, and more often part of structured sequences of thoughts. These results show that future-oriented mind-wandering possesses a unique phenomenological signature and provide new insights into how this particular form of mind-wandering may adaptively contribute to autobiographical planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Stawarczyk
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, University of LiègeLiège, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS)Brussels, Belgium
| | - Helena Cassol
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, University of LiègeLiège, Belgium
| | - Arnaud D'Argembeau
- Department of Psychology - Cognition and Behavior, University of LiègeLiège, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS)Brussels, Belgium
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