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Barzykowski K, Ilczuk E, Kvavilashvili L. A comprehensive guide to research protocols for collecting and coding involuntary past and future thoughts. MethodsX 2024; 12:102732. [PMID: 38707213 PMCID: PMC11068848 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The paper presents a comprehensive guide for researchers investigating mind-wandering and related phenomena such as involuntary past and future thinking. Examining such spontaneous cognitions presents a challenge requiring not only the use of appropriate laboratory-based procedures, but also the coding of complex qualitative data. This guide outlines two main stages of existing research protocols: data acquisition and data coding. For the former, we introduce an easily modifiable computerized version of the vigilance task, designed for broad application in studies focusing on eliciting and measuring involuntary thoughts in controlled laboratory conditions. Regarding data preparation and coding, we provide a detailed step-by-step procedure for categorizing and coding different types of thoughts, involving both participants and competent judges. Additionally, we address some of the difficulties that may arise during this categorization and coding process. The guide is supplemented by a clip demonstrating the main part of the experimental procedure and a step-by-step example of the subsequent data processing stages. We anticipate that this research guide will not only assist a broader group of researchers interested in investigating spontaneous cognition, but will also inspire future studies on spontaneous cognition and related phenomena.•There is a need for standardized approaches to working with qualitative data when investigating spontaneous thoughts.•The paper outlines a comprehensive protocol for collecting and coding involuntary past and future-oriented thoughts.•The paper also presents a detailed step-by-step procedure for data preparation and coding to categorize different types of thoughts, involving both participants and competent judges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystian Barzykowski
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Ewa Ilczuk
- Applied Memory Research Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Laughland A, Kvavilashvili L. The frequency and cueing mechanisms of involuntary autobiographical memories while driving. Memory 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38166488 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2023.2296826] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) have been typically studied with paper diaries, kept for a week or longer. However, such studies are unable to capture the true frequency of IAMs, nor the level of detail that would give new insights into the mechanisms of IAMs. To address this gap, a new audio-recording method was developed and tested on the first author who recorded 674 IAMs while driving a car on a 30-40-minute-long habitual route on 20 occasions. Results revealed very high frequency of IAMs (almost 34 per journey) that were reported more often in response to dynamic (one-off) than static cues. Moreover, a substantial number of memory chains and long-term priming of IAMs by previously encountered incidental stimuli were also recorded. Based on these results, a new theoretical model is proposed in which the occurrence of IAMs is determined by an interplay of factors at the time of the IAM, such as the type of ongoing activity and internal or external triggers, as well as different types of long-term priming. The results also have practical implications for studying mind-wandering and safety issues in driving and aircraft-flying, where periods of concentration are followed by monotony and less demanding tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Laughland
- Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
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Kvavilashvili L, Ford RM. Metamemory for involuntary autobiographical memories and semantic mind-pops in 5-, 7- and 9-year-old children and young adults. Child Dev 2022; 93:e484-e500. [PMID: 35596709 PMCID: PMC9544794 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13794] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In a cross‐sectional study, 5‐, 7‐, and 9‐year‐old‐children and adults (N = 144, 86 females, predominantly White U.K. sample of lower‐middle to middle‐class background) were interviewed about their experiences of involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs) and semantic mind‐pops that come to mind unintentionally. Although some age differences emerged, the majority of participants in all age groups claimed familiarity with involuntary memories and provided examples from their own experience. Moreover, the self‐reported frequency of IAMs and mind‐pops was high, and reported IAMs usually referred to incidental environmental triggers, whereas reported mind‐pops did not. This age invariance highlights the ubiquity of involuntary memories across development and opens up interesting avenues for developmental research on involuntary memories and other spontaneous phenomena (e.g., mind‐wandering, future thinking).
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Berntsen D. Involuntary autobiographical memories and their relation to other forms of spontaneous thoughts. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190693. [PMID: 33308074 PMCID: PMC7741080 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Involuntary autobiographical memories are memories of personal events that come to mind spontaneously-that is, with no conscious initiation of the retrieval process. Such spontaneously arising memories were long ignored in cognitive psychology, which generally has focused on controlled and strategic forms of remembering, studied in laboratory settings. Recent evidence shows that involuntary memories of past events are highly frequent in daily life, and that they represent a context-sensitive, and associative way of recollecting past events that involves little executive control. They operate by constraints that favour recent events and events with a distinct feature overlap to the current situation, which optimizes the probability of functional relevance to the ongoing situation. In addition to adults, they are documented in young children and great apes and may be an ontogenetic and evolutionary forerunner of strategic retrieval of past events. Findings suggest that intrusive involuntary memories observed clinically after traumatic events should be viewed as a dysfunctional subclass of otherwise functional involuntary autobiographical memories. Because of their highly constrained, situation-dependent and automatic nature, involuntary autobiographical memories form a distinct category of spontaneous thought that cannot be equated with mind wandering. This article is part of the theme issue 'Offline perception: voluntary and spontaneous perceptual experiences without matching external stimulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorthe Berntsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 11, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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Bragesjö M, Larsson K, Nordlund L, Anderbro T, Andersson E, Möller A. Early Psychological Intervention After Rape: A Feasibility Study. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1595. [PMID: 32733345 PMCID: PMC7360814 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rape is the most common trauma leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women, with a conditioned prevalence of up to 50%. PTSD is considered to be a lethal condition associated with increased risk of suicide, drug- and alcohol dependence, neurological- and vascular problems, as well as sick leave. Given the scope of this problem, novel and swiftly delivered interventions for this large vulnerable population are clearly warranted. One previous trial conducted in the United States (N = 137) showed that an adapted brief version of prolonged exposure (PE) to the fearful memory of the event and situations, provided in the immediate aftermath after trauma (<72 h after a traumatic event), was effective in reducing early PTSD symptoms in rape victims. The aims of the present study were to adapt the brief PE protocol to a Swedish context and investigate its feasibility and delivery in 10 executive patients recruited at the Emergency Clinic for Rape Victims in Stockholm. Ten participants were provided with three sessions of early PE with overall successful results in terms of session attendance, home-work compliance, and also symptom reduction of PTSD and depressive symptoms. However, only a fraction of the screened patients at the Emergency Clinic (5.2%) were eligible to be included in the study, where the majority (40%) were excluded due to the time criteria of 72 h. In this article, we will present detailed results of the intervention and elaborate on how to increase feasibility of preventive interventions for rape victims. In the current form, providing PE with the strict time criteria was not feasible in the clinical setting that constitutes the Emergency Department for rape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Bragesjö
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Larsson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Clinic for Rape Victims, Stockholm South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lisa Nordlund
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Clinic for Rape Victims, Stockholm South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Therese Anderbro
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik Andersson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Möller
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Clinic for Rape Victims, Stockholm South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Stockholm South Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Kvavilashvili L, Niedźwieńska A, Gilbert SJ, Markostamou I. Deficits in Spontaneous Cognition as an Early Marker of Alzheimer's Disease. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:285-301. [PMID: 32160566 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In the absence of a pharmacological cure, finding the most sensitive early cognitive markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming increasingly important. In this article we review evidence showing that brain mechanisms of spontaneous, but stimulus-dependent, cognition overlap with key hubs of the default mode network (DMN) that become compromised by amyloid pathology years before the clinical symptoms of AD. This leads to the formulation of a novel hypothesis which predicts that spontaneous, but stimulus-dependent, conscious retrieval processes, that are generally intact in healthy aging, will be particularly compromised in people at the earliest stages of AD. Initial evidence for this hypothesis is presented across diverse experimental paradigms (e.g., prospective memory, mind-wandering), and new avenues for research in this area are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Kvavilashvili
- Department of Psychology and Sports Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK.
| | | | - Sam J Gilbert
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London (UCL), London WC1N 3AZ, UK
| | - Ioanna Markostamou
- Department of Psychology and Sports Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
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Brennan M, Clarke M, Devane D, Dowling M. A qualitative study of the factors influencing recruitment to a pilot trial on the prevention of striae gravidarum. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2020; 20:103. [PMID: 32050916 PMCID: PMC7017448 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-020-2781-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Striae gravidarum are a common occurrence in pregnancy and many women use a topical product to prevent their development or lessen their appearance if they do develop. There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of many of the products used by women. This study arose from challenges in recruitment to a pilot randomised trial (ISRCTN trial registration number:76992326) designed to evaluate the feasibility of a definitive trial to compare a moisturising oil to no treatment in the prevention and reduction in severity of striae gravidarum. The study reported here explored the factors influencing recruitment to that pilot trial. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken involving primigravid women attending an Irish maternity hospital. Data were collected by semi-structured telephone interviews over a four-week period and analysed using the framework method of analysis. Fifteen interview transcripts were included in the analysis. Results Four main themes consisting of twelve categories were identified from the interview data. The themes focused on women’s prevention of stretch marks and their choice of anti-stretch mark product, who and what influenced that choice and influences on trial participation. In relation to influences on trial participation, the possibility of being randomised to the non- intervention or control group was a deterrent for many women. Conclusions The prevention of stretch marks is important to pregnant women, as is their choice of product to prevent them. Offering women the opportunity to be part of a trial that would be of low burden and would test a well-known product may optimise recruitment. However, reluctance to be randomised because of the possibility of being allocated to the non-intervention control group suggests that further work is needed in this field on how best to communicate uncertainty to potential participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Brennan
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland.
| | - Mike Clarke
- Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Block B, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA, Northern Ireland
| | - Declan Devane
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Maura Dowling
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
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Warden EA, Plimpton B, Kvavilashvili L. Absence of age effects on spontaneous past and future thinking in daily life. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 83:727-746. [PMID: 30269274 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-018-1103-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Previous research on voluntary mental time travel (i.e., deliberately thinking about the past or future) has resulted in negative age effects. In contrast, studies on spontaneous past thoughts (i.e., involuntary autobiographical memories) have reported small or no age effects. The aim of the present research was to investigate the effects of age on the nature and frequency of spontaneous future thoughts in everyday life. In two studies, we examined whether older adults reported spontaneous future thoughts as often as younger adults, and whether these thoughts were predominantly goal-oriented and less dependent on incidental cues than thoughts about the past. In Study 1, young and old participants kept a diary of spontaneous thoughts of upcoming prospective memory tasks and involuntary autobiographical memories for 2 weeks. In Study 2, a 1-day experience sampling method was used to investigate spontaneous and deliberate task-unrelated future and past thoughts, by having young and old participants complete a questionnaire in response to 30 random signals. In both studies, no age effects were found in the frequency of spontaneous future thoughts, which were reported as frequently as thoughts about the past (Study 2) and referred predominantly to upcoming tasks and goals rather than future events or hypothetical events (Study 2). Results concerning the triggers of reported thoughts provide initial support for the idea that representations of future thoughts may be more activated than memories of past events. Taken together, these results have important implications for research on cognitive ageing, mind-wandering, prospective memory and involuntary autobiographical memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ann Warden
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Benjamin Plimpton
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Lia Kvavilashvili
- Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, College Lane, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB, UK.
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