Browsing by Author "Schacter, Daniel L"

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    Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View.
    (Trends in cognitive sciences, 2018-06) Seli, Paul; Kane, Michael J; Smallwood, Jonathan; Schacter, Daniel L; Maillet, David; Schooler, Jonathan W; Smilek, Daniel
    As empirical research on mind-wandering accelerates, we draw attention to an emerging trend in how mind-wandering is conceptualized. Previously articulated definitions of mind-wandering differ from each other in important ways, yet they also maintain overlapping characteristics. This conceptual structure suggests that mind-wandering is best considered from a family-resemblances perspective, which entails treating it as a graded, heterogeneous construct and clearly measuring and describing the specific aspect(s) of mind-wandering that researchers are investigating. We believe that adopting this family-resemblances approach will increase conceptual and methodological connections among related phenomena in the mind-wandering family and encourage a more nuanced and precise understanding of the many varieties of mind-wandering.
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    The awakening of the attention: Evidence for a link between the monitoring of mind wandering and prospective goals.
    (Journal of experimental psychology. General, 2018-03) Seli, Paul; Smilek, Daniel; Ralph, Brandon CW; Schacter, Daniel L
    Across 2 independent samples, we examined the relation between individual differences in rates of self-caught mind wandering and individual differences in temporal monitoring of an unrelated response goal. Rates of self-caught mind wandering were assessed during a commonly used sustained-attention task, and temporal goal monitoring was indexed during a well-established prospective-memory task. The results from both samples showed a positive relation between rates of self-caught mind wandering during the sustained-attention task and rates of checking a clock to monitor the amount of time remaining before a response was required in the prospective-memory task. This relation held even when controlling for overall propensity to mind-wander (indexed by intermittent thought probes) and levels of motivation (indexed by subjective reports). These results suggest the possibility that there is a common monitoring system that monitors the contents of consciousness and the progress of ongoing goals and tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record