Anecdotal reports suggest that during periods of inattention or mind wandering, people tend to experience increased fidgeting. In four studies, we examined whether individual differences in the tendency be inattentive and wander everyday life are related make spontaneous involuntary movements (i.e., fidget). To do so, developed self-report measures deliberate as well a scale index addition, used several existing inattentiveness, attentional control, memory failures. Across our series...

It has been evident for some time that the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS), a commonly used measure of trait boredom, does not constitute single scale. Factor analytic studies have identified anything from two to seven factors, prompting Vodanovich and colleagues propose an alternative factor, short form version Scale–Short Form (BPS-SR). The present study further investigates factor structure validity both BPS BPS-SR. two-factor solution obtained BPS-SR appears be artifact item wording...

Mind wandering, in which cognitive processing of the external environment decreases favor internal (Small-wood & Schooler, 2006), has been consistently associated with errors on tasks requiring sustained attention and continu-ous stimulus monitoring (e.g., Cheyne, Carriere, Smilek, 2006; Robertson, Manly, Andrade, Baddeley, Yiend, 1997; Smallwood et al., 2004). Consistent this finding, recent neuroimaging studies suggest that mind wandering engages default neural network (Christoff, Gordon,...

We examined whether the temporal rate at which thought probes are presented affects likelihood that people will report periods of mind wandering. To evaluate this possibility, we had participants complete a sustained-attention task (the Metronome Response Task; MRT) during intermittently probes. Critically, varied average time between (i.e., probe rate) across participants, allowing us to examine relation and mind-wandering rate. observed positive these variables, indicating more likely...

Recent research has revealed an age-related reduction in errors a sustained attention task, suggesting that abilities improve with age. Such results seem paradoxical light of the well-documented declines cognitive performance. In present study, performance on to response task (SART) was assessed supplemented archival sample 638 individuals between 14 and 77 years old. SART speed appeared decline linear fashion as function age throughout span studied. contrast, other measures (reaction time...

In the present work, we investigate hypothesis that failures of task-related executive control occur during episodes mind wandering are associated with an increase in extraneous movements (fidgeting). 2 studies, assessed using thought probes while participants performed metronome response task (MRT), which required them to synchronize button presses tones. Participants this sitting on a Wii Balance Board providing us index fidgeting. Results Study 1 demonstrate relative on-task periods, is...

Attentional biases for threatening stimuli have been implicated in the development of anxiety disorders. However, little is known about relative influences trait and state on attentional biases. This study examined effects attention to emotional images. Low, mid, high anxious participants completed two trial blocks an eye-tracking task. Participants viewed image pairs consisting one (threatening or positive) neutral while their eye movements were recorded. Between blocks, underwent...

We examined the hypothesis that people can modulate their mind wandering on basis of expectations upcoming challenges in a task. To this end, we developed novel paradigm which participants were presented with an analog clock, via computer monitor, and asked to push button every time clock’s hand was pointed at 12:00. Importantly, 12:00 completely predictable occurred 20-s intervals. During some intervals, thought probes index participants’ rates wandering. Results indicated decreased levels...

We examined whether different encounters of reading material influence the likelihood mind wandering, memory for material, and ratings interest in material. In a within-subjects design participants experienced three encounters: (1) passage aloud, (2) listening to being read them, (3) silently. Throughout each encounter probes were given order identify wandering. After finishing also rated how interesting it was completed content recognition test. Results showed that aloud led least amount...

Although attentional biases to threatening information are thought contribute the development and persistence of anxiety disorders, it is not clear whether an bias threat (ABT) driven by trait anxiety, state or interaction between two. ABT may also be influenced "top down" processes motivation attend avoid threat. In current study, participants high, mid low in viewed high threat-neutral, mild threat-neutral positive-neutral image pairs for 5 seconds both calm anxious mood states while their...

We report a case study of an individual (TE) for whom inanimate objects, such as letters, numbers, simple shapes, and even furniture, are experienced having rich detailed personalities. TE reports that her object-personality pairings stable over time, occur independent intentions, have been there long she can remember. In these respects, experiences indicative synesthesia. Here we show TE's very consistent across test-retest, novel objects. A qualitative analysis personality descriptions...

A common finding in the mind-wandering literature is that older adults (OAs) tend to mind-wander less frequently than young (YAs). Here, we sought determine whether this age-related difference attributable differences motivation.YAs and OAs completed an attention task during which they responded thought probes assessed rates of mind-wandering, provided self-reports task-based motivation before after completion task.Age-related are partially explained by motivation, motivating YAs via...

Rosenbaum, Mama, and Algom (2017) reported that participants who completed the Stroop task (i.e., name hue of a color word when meaning are congruent or incongruent) showed smaller effect difference in response times between incongruent trials) they performed standing than sitting. We report five attempted replications (analyzed sample sizes: N = 108, 98, 78, 51, respectively) Rosenbaum et al.’s findings, which were conducted two institutions. All experiments yielded standard effect, but we...