The neurotic wandering mind: An individual differences investigation of neuroticism, mind-wandering, and executive control

The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology : QJEP
Matthew K RobisonNash Unsworth

Abstract

Cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience have recently developed a keen interest in the phenomenon of mind-wandering. People mind-wander frequently, and mind-wandering is associated with decreased cognitive performance. But why do people mind-wander so much? Previous investigations have focused on cognitive abilities like working memory capacity and attention control. But an individual's tendency to worry, feel anxious, and entertain personal concerns also influences mind-wandering. The Control Failure × Concerns model of mind-wandering. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 188-197] argues that individual differences in the propensity to mind-wander are jointly determined by cognitive abilities and by the presence of personally salient concerns that intrude on task focus. In order to test this model, we investigated individual differences in mind-wandering, executive attention, and personality with a focus on neuroticism. The results showed that neurotic individuals tended to report more mind-wandering during cognitive tasks, lower working memory capacity, and poorer attention control. Thus the trait of neuroticism adds an additional source of variance in the tendency to mind-wander, which offers support for the Control Failure ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 22, 2017·Psychonomic Bulletin & Review·Nash Unsworth, Matthew K Robison
Jul 19, 2017·Psychological Science·Michael J KaneThomas R Kwapil
Feb 23, 2019·Behavior Research Methods·Matthew K RobisonNash Unsworth
Apr 15, 2018·Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience·Nash Unsworth, Matthew K Robison
Jun 10, 2020·Attention, Perception & Psychophysics·Jason S TsukaharaRandall W Engle
Jul 12, 2020·Attention, Perception & Psychophysics·Matthew K Robison, Gene A Brewer
Apr 27, 2019·Journal of Medical Internet Research·Beatrix KoronczaiZsolt Demetrovics
Feb 1, 2020·American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education·Arwa Omary, Adam M Persky
Aug 6, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Piotr MatuszewskiBogdan Zawadzki
Dec 15, 2020·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Theodoros KarapanagiotidisJonathan Smallwood
May 2, 2017·Consciousness and Cognition·Matthew K Robison, Nash Unsworth
Mar 13, 2021·Memory & Cognition·Matt E Meier
Apr 10, 2021·Behavior Research Methods·Michael J KaneNatalie E Phillips
May 4, 2021·Frontiers in Psychology·Miguel Ibaceta, Hector P Madrid

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