Article (Scientific journals)
Relationships between mind-wandering and attentional control abilities in young adults and adolescents
Stawarczyk, David; Majerus, Steve; Catale, Corinne et al.
2014In Acta Psychologica, 148, p. 25-36
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Keywords :
Mind-wandering; Distractions; Attentional control abilities; Working memory; Adolescence
Abstract :
[en] Recent findings suggest that mind-wandering—the occurrence of thoughts that are both stimulus-independent and task-unrelated—corresponds to temporary failures in attentional control processes involved in maintaining constant task-focused attention. Studies supporting this proposal are, however, limited by a possible confound between mind-wandering episodes and other kinds of conscious experiences, such as external distractions (i.e., interoceptive sensations and exteroceptive perceptions). In the present study, we addressed this issue by examining, in adolescents and young adults, the relations between tasks measuring attentional control abilities and a measure of mind-wandering that is distinct from external distractions. We observed (1) that adolescents experienced more frequent external distractions, but not more mind-wandering, than young adults during the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and (2) that, in young adults, the influence of external distractions on SART performance was fully accounted for by attentional control abilities, whereas mind-wandering was associated with decreases in SART performance above and beyond what was explained by attentional control abilities. These results show that mind-wandering cannot be entirely reduced to failures in the ability to maintain one’s attention focused on task, and suggest that external distractions rather than mind-wandering are due to attentional control failures.
Disciplines :
Theoretical & cognitive psychology
Author, co-author :
Stawarczyk, David ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement > Psychopathologie cognitive
Majerus, Steve  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement > Psychopathologie cognitive
Catale, Corinne ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement
D'Argembeau, Arnaud  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement > Psychopathologie cognitive
Language :
English
Title :
Relationships between mind-wandering and attentional control abilities in young adults and adolescents
Publication date :
06 January 2014
Journal title :
Acta Psychologica
ISSN :
0001-6918
eISSN :
1873-6297
Publisher :
Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Volume :
148
Pages :
25-36
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique [BE]
Available on ORBi :
since 22 January 2014

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