Research Byte: More on mind wandering

> Title:
> Wandering Minds and Wavering Rhythms: Linking Mind Wandering and Behavioral Variability
>
> Authors:
> Seli, P; Cheyne, JA; Smilek, D
>
> Source:
> *JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY-HUMAN PERCEPTION AND PERFORMANCE*, 39 (1):1-5; FEB 2013
>
> Abstract:
> Mind wandering is a pervasive feature of human cognition often
> associated with the withdrawal of task-related executive control
> processes. Here, we explore the possibility that, in tasks requiring
> executive control to sustain consistent responding, moments of mind
> wandering could be associated with moments of increased behavioral
> variability. To test this possibility, we developed and administered a
> novel task (the metronome response task) in which participants were
> instructed to respond synchronously (via button presses) with the
> continuous rhythmic presentation of tones. We provide evidence
> (replicated across 2 independent samples) that response variability
> during the 5 trials preceding probe-caught reports of mind wandering
> (tuned-out and zoned-out mind wandering) is significantly greater than
> during the 5 trials preceding reports of on-task performance. These
> results suggest that, at least in some tasks, behavioral variability is
> an online marker of mind wandering.
>