Recent research has focused on mind wandering (MW), which is caused when a person's attention shifts from a primary task to unrelated internal thoughts. One of the research interests for this psychological action is the diversity of MW content: from the future to the past, from the real to imaginary worlds, and from internal and external distractions. However, to date, there have been only a few studies that have explicitly examined MW content. Therefore, we attempted to fill this research gap, to some degree, through this exploratory study. We used an unbiased method that allowed the 59 participants to freely report their psychological experiences, after which their answers were categorized post hoc, to avoid any acquiescence. We found a substantial number of task-related thoughts, or task-related psychological experiences, during the typical MW task. The experiences were further analyzed using a data-driven method, which reported that metacognitive ability possibly contributed to MW. The occurrence of task-related thoughts and metacognitive ability should be given attention when evaluating MW.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00426-020-01346-9 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
A comprehensive assessment of current methods for measuring metacognition.
Nat Commun
January 2025
School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
One of the most important aspects of research on metacognition is the measurement of metacognitive ability. However, the properties of existing measures of metacognition have been mostly assumed rather than empirically established. Here I perform a comprehensive empirical assessment of 17 measures of metacognition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLarge Language Models lack essential metacognition for reliable medical reasoning.
Nat Commun
January 2025
Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Large Language Models have demonstrated expert-level accuracy on medical board examinations, suggesting potential for clinical decision support systems. However, their metacognitive abilities, crucial for medical decision-making, remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, we developed MetaMedQA, a benchmark incorporating confidence scores and metacognitive tasks into multiple-choice medical questions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNavigating Uncertainty: The Role of Mood and Confidence in Decision-Making Flexibility and Performance.
Behav Sci (Basel)
November 2024
Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA.
Dealing with uncertainty is a pivotal skill for adaptive decision-making across various real-life contexts. Cognitive models suggest that individuals continuously update their knowledge based on past choices and outcomes. Traditionally, uncertainty has been linked to negative states such as fear and anxiety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study addresses the integration of Spanish for Specific Purposes in Agriculture (SSPA) into the curricula of English-speaking veterinary and animal sciences students at three collaborating universities (Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, and Tarleton State University), to bridge communication gaps in agricultural settings. We designed and implemented three SSPA courses focused on key areas such as animal health, welfare, and food safety, using insights from industry professionals. The courses incorporated contextualized language instruction, including vocabulary, grammar, and practical communication scenarios relevant to the field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Feasibility of Occupation-Based Coaching for Autistic Children and Primary Caregivers.
OTJR (Thorofare N J)
January 2025
Article Synopsis
- Autistic children often face challenges in participation and skill development compared to nonautistic peers, and the impact of occupation-based coaching (OBC) on their participation is unclear.
- A study involving 13 autistic children and 12 caregivers tested the feasibility and effects of telehealth OBC, showing high rates of recruitment, retention, and caregiver engagement, exceeding expected benchmarks.
- Results indicated significant improvements in child performance and satisfaction, with moderate effects on sleep disturbances and smaller impacts on participation and family quality of life, highlighting the need for further large-scale research to refine the intervention.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!