![Page 1: A sudden lapse of imagination? Processing overlap between mind wandering and creative thought Jonathan Smallwood, Research Scientist, META Lab University](https://reader030.vdocuments.us/reader030/viewer/2022033104/56649ccb5503460f949946c9/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
A sudden lapse of imagination?
Processing overlap between mind wandering and creative thought
Jonathan Smallwood,
Research Scientist, META Lab
University of California,
Santa Barbara
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CollaboratorsUniversity of Aberdeen
Neil MacraeLynden Miles
Dave TurkLouise Phillips
University of British ColumbiaKalina Christoff
Todd Handy
University of California, Santa BarbaraJonathan Schooler
University of StirlingRory O’Connor
University of StrathclydeMarc Obonsawain
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Attention is “the sudden taking possession of the mind, in clear and vivid form of one of what seems several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought”
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Core Thesis
Both mind wandering and insight are:
• Momentary phenomena– occur out of the blue– anecdotally are often only indirectly related to
the task in hand
• Are personally relevant – current concerns
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Overview
1. Describe a simple model to understand lapses in attention
2. Describe the methodologies employed to study mind wandering
3. Consider theoretical similarities between mind wandering and creative thought
4. Study comparing the relation between subjective reports of mind wandering and creative thought
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The Restless Mind
Mind wandering – a failure to constrain attention to the task in hand.
Often (but not always) accompanied by a state of introspection
Task unrelated thought (TUT)Stimulus Independent Thought (SIT)
Smallwood & Schooler (2006). Psych Bulletin
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Internal Representations
Task Relevant Information
Working Memory
Mind wandering is a disruption in the flow of task relevant information into working memory
Attention becomes decoupled from the task
Smallwood et al. (2007). Psych Bull & Review
Mental states as information flow
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Measuring the wandering mind
Measures– Subjective
– Experience sampling– Objective
– Lapses in the performance of an appropriate task
Relate to an Introspective State?
Verifiable at the 3rd person perspective?
Experience Sampling
Yes Depends
Behavioral Lapse
Depends Yes
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Thought Probe
Just prior to being asked were you:
On Task
Press ‘T’
Off Task
Press ‘O’
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Sustained Attention to Response
Task
35
79
2
Time1
4X
Participant is asked to respond to stimuli presented on the screen (digits 0 -9).
Behavioural marker
Asked to withhold a response when the stimulus is an ‘X’.
Subjective marker
Reports of mental states at thought probes
35
79
TP
Thought Probe (TP)
Subjective Index
Behavioural Index
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Experimental Approach
Measures of mind wandering can be both
• an Independent Variable (IV)– when we consider the objective precedents
of mind wandering
• a Dependent Variable (DV)– when we examine the factors the incline the
mind to wander.
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Mind wandering & a negative moodA case study
Mind wandering as an IV
What are the physiological indicators of mind wandering? How does this relate to current mood levels?
Mind wandering as a DV
• How do different mood states effect the amount of mind wandering?
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Mind Wandering and emotion
Role of Emotion
Sad moods may lead to an under commitment of attentional resources on the task (Jefferies et al., 2008).
To cope with the aversive nature of negative moods, individuals may engage in self reflection (Kuhl, 2000).
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40 ParticipantsCompleted a word learning taskMeasuresMeasure of Depression
Centre of epidemiological studies inventory (CESD)
Attentional focus (thought probes)Physiological arousal
Heart rateSkin conductance level
Mind wandering & DysphoriaMind wandering as an IV
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train snow apple tree TP
t
Subjective Reports of On / Off Task
Cued recall (Tr _ _ _)
Physiological arousal (SCR, HR)
Measures
Mind wandering as an IV
Smallwood et al. (2007). Cognition & Emotion
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Cued Recall
Completion of word fragments
0
1
2
Encoding
Me
an
Co
rre
ct
(ma
x 3
)
On Task
Mind-Wandering
Periods of mind wandering were associated with fewer correct completions than were periods of on task processing
Smallwood et al. (2007). Cognition & Emotion
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Physiological Measures
Skin Conductance Response
0
1
2
EncodingM
icro
-Sie
men
s
On Task
Mind-Wandering
Heart Rate
65
75
85
Encoding
Bea
ts p
er m
inu
te
On Task
Mind-Wandering
Periods when the mind wandered were associated with a higher skin conductance response (SCR, right) and faster heart rate (HR, left).
Smallwood et al. (2007). Mind wandering and dysphoria. Cognition & Emotion
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Heart Rate
The greatest increase in heart rate due to mind wandering was observed in the dysphoric individuals. -10
-5
0
5
10
Low High
Dysphoria Level
Incr
ease
in
HR
du
rin
g M
W (
BP
M)
Smallwood et al. (2007). Cognition & Emotion
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Shifting moods, wandering mindsMind wandering as a DV
59 Participants watched either a positive, negative or neutral film
• Completed a ten minute SART• Provided retrospective measures of
subjective experience
Smallwood et al. (in press) Emotion
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Behavioural Lapses
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Negative Neutral Positive
Mood
Err
ors
(p
rop
)
Smallwood et al. (under revision) Emotion
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Subjective Experience
1
2
3
TRI TUTSubjective Reports
Mea
n R
atin
g
NegativeNeutralPositive
TUT = Task Unrelated Thought; TRI = Task Related Interference
Smallwood et al. (under revision) Emotion
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MW & Mood
Negative mood leads the mind to wander when faced with an undemanding task which requires sustained attention
When in a negative mood, mind wandering entails greater physiological arousal
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Theoretical overlap between creativity and mind wandering
Mind wandering is an
• elusive momentary phenomenon and so is similar to the AHA experience
• related to personally salient events and so is similar to the problems upon which creativity is focused
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A meta lapse
Schooler (2002). meta awarenessAn intermittent state in
which we take stock of the contents of consciousness
Mind wandering episodes– begin without recognition (a failure
of meta awareness)– ends when we catch ourselves
mind wandering (engagement of meta awareness)
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Thought Probe
Just prior to being asked were you:
On TaskPress ‘O’
Off Task but aware (Tuning Out)Press ‘T’
Off Task but unaware (Zoning Out)Press ‘Z’
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Going AWOL in the brain
23 participants
Completed a SART
Containing thought probes
Measured the cortical processing of the task using event related potentials
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Sustained Attention to Response
Task
35
79
2
Time1
4X
Participant is asked to respond to stimuli presented on the screen (digits 0 -9).
Behavioural marker
Asked to withhold a response when the stimulus is an ‘X’.
Subjective marker
Reports of mental states at thought probes
35
79
TP
Thought Probe (TP)
Subjective Index
Behavioural Index
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Analysis
4 2 5 8 X
t
9 6 7 1 TP
t
Subjective Reports of On / Off Task
Behavioural indicator that participants were on or off task
Consider the amplitude of the P3 ERP component prior to being on or off task, using both behavioural and subjective markers.
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P3indexes the extent to which stimulus context is updated in memory (e.g., Donchin, & Coles, 1988)
or more generally, the amount of attentional resources directed towards that stimulus at time of presentation (e.g., Kramer & Strayer, 1988, Polich, 1986, Wickens et al., 1983)
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Reduced Cognitive Analysis of the task environment during Mind-
wandering
6 Stimuli Prior to an Error
Main Effect (p<0.01)
6 Stimuli Prior to Thought Probe
Main Effect (p<0.05)
Smallwood, et al. (2008). Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Behavioural marker Subjective marker
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It’s the target! Duh!
P300 Amplitude (volts)Prior to Error
P300 Amplitude (volts)Prior to Zoning Out
0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
R Sq Linear = 0.569
Decoupled Attention
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The curious incident of the wandering mind
Participants read a Sherlock Holmes novella
and then answered questions regarding the crime
Included awareness probes– Random Intervals– Inference Critical Episodes
(ICES) • points when a clue to the
nature of the crime was revealed
Smallwood, et al. (2008). Memory & Cognition.
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Who dunnit?Question: What was the psuedonym
used by John Clay?
0
20
40
Never zoned out Zoned out one or more occasion
Num
ber
of p
arti
cipa
nts
Incorrect
Correct
People who zoned out at critical ICE could not identify the pseudonym used by the villainSmallwood, et al. (2008). Memory & Cognition.
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Temporal Specificity
0
0.2
0.4
Tune Outs Zone Outs Tune Outs Zone Outs
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f R
ep
ort
sClues
Other
Unsuccessful Readers Successful Readers
*
Ability to identify the villains identity was specifically related to Zoning Out at ICEs
Smallwood, et al. (2008). Memory & Cognition.
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reduces cortical processing of the external world
impairs text comprehension
both occur when we lose track of our thoughts
Internal Representations
External Information
Working Memory
Momentary lapses
When the mind wanders we momentarily leave the ‘here and now’…
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Mental Time TravelTulving (1985)
the ability to project oneself mentally into either the past or the future
Prospective cognition is seen as a particularly valuable component of human cognition (Schacter et al., 2007)
The self is seen as important resource in facilitating our ability to anticipate future events – known as ‘self-projection’ (Buckner & Carroll, 2007)
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Mental Time Travel in Ongoing Thought
77 participants
Measured mind wandering using thought probes
Prospective / Retrospective TUT
Completed three tasks– Simple working memory– Choice Reaction Time– Passive viewing
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Temporal Focus Probe
Just prior to being asked were you:
Thinking in the here and now
(Press H)
Thinking about a personal event in the future
(Press F)
Thinking about a personal event from the past
(Press P)
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0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Past Future
Temporal Focus
Pro
ba
bil
ity
Working MemoryChoice RTPassive
Task Environment
A Prospective Bias to
Mind Wandering
Participants were inclined to consider the future when the task did not involve continuous monitoring.
Smallwood et al., (in press). Consciousness & Cognition
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120 ParticipantsRead a simple second grade textProvided reports of mind wandering
Probe CaughtSelf Caught
Completed 3 measuresUnusual Uses TestRemote Associates TestInhibition
The Imaginative Lapse?
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Assessing awareness
Self Caught / Probe Caught Ratio• Different methods of reporting mind
wandering tap into different aspects of the phenomenon– Probe Caught – estimate of mind wandering– Self caught – ability to recognizeIn combination it is possible to stratify
individuals in terms of these different dimensions
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Awareness at Probes
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
Tune Outs Zone Outs
Reports at Probes
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f re
po
rts
Low High
Self Caught Group
Participants who tend to Self catch their minds wandering, say they are zoning out when caught at probes.
Spontaneous versus Deliberate?
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Remote Associates TestRemote Associates Test
0.5
0.75
1
1.25
Low High
Probe Caught MW
Co
rre
ct
As
so
cia
tes
(L
og
)
Unusual Uses Test
1
1.25
1.5
Low High
Probe Caught MW
To
tal U
nu
su
al U
se
s (
Lo
g)
Low High
Self Catching
The Probe Caught Ratio did not vary with performance on the RAT (LEFT) but did predict UUT performance (BELOW)
Participants who tended to catch their minds wandering but were not caught at probes produced the most solutions to the UUT (LEFT)
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Spontaneous versus deliberate lapses in imagination?
Engaging in spontaneous mind wandering (Zoning Out) combined with the ability to recognize (Self Catching) is related to successful completions on the UUT.
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Final thought….
Next time you catch yourself mind wandering at a dull cognitive talk, try to remember what
it is that you were thinking about…