Trait-Level Variability in Attention Modulates Mind Wandering and Academic Achievement

Abstract

Although mind wandering remains ubiquitous in daily life, the processes that underlie and sustain this behavior remain poorly understood. Across two experiments, we studied the role of intrinsic temperament traits, which shape stable behavioral processes, in moderating the association between mind wandering and the real-life functional outcome of academic success. In Experiment 1, participants completed the Mind Wandering Questionnaire, the Adult Temperament Questionnaire, and reported their grade for the highest degree completed or in progress. Individuals with traits of low Effortful control, high Negative affect, and low Extraversion indicated more mind wandering. Effortful control moderated the relationship between mind wandering and academic success, with higher tendency for mind wandering associated with higher academic achievement for individuals with high Effortful control, and lower academic achievement for those with low Effortful control. Experiment 2 confirmed these links using the visual metronome response task, an objective measure of mind wandering. Together, these results suggest that the intrinsic temperament trait of Effortful control represents one of the key mechanisms behind the functional influence of mind wandering on real-life outcomes. This work places an innate ability to control attention at the very core of real life success, and highlights the need for studying mind wandering through an interdisciplinary lens that brings together cognitive, biological, social, and clinical theories in order to understand the fundamental mechanisms that drive this behavior.

The brief mind wandering three-factor scale (BMW-3)

“…While previous research on the correlation between mind wandering and openness may have been inconclusive, growing evidence suggests a link between openness and intentional mind wandering during nondemanding tasks (Ibaceta & Madrid, 2021;Robison et al, 2020;Rummel et al, 2022;Smeekens & Kane, 2016). We did not anticipate any relationships between the personality traits extraversion and agreeableness and the BMW-3, but tentative evidence suggests that they may be linked to mind wandering in certain circumstances (Pereira et al, 2020;Robison et al, 2020).…”

Resting-state EEG functional networks organization and individual differences in the task-unrelated thoughts: Greater Mind-Wanderers exhibit weaker default mode network integration

“…When MW is understood in the context of mental activity control failures, research indicates its relationship with less adaptive features or states of reduced cognitive e ciency. Individuals exhibiting more pronounced tendency to mind wander during obtain higher punctuation in scales measuring dispositional neuroticism [10], negative affect and lower levels of effortful control and extraversion [11]. Enhanced MW was observed during states of reduced alertness, fatigue and generally diminished productivity [12,13].…”

Temperament and Visual Category Learning Strategy Use

“…We have speculated in the previous section that one potential reason for lowN/highEx profile's superior performance in late learning of the II task was higher tolerance for frustration and positive reappraisal. We can also speculate that people with the lowN/highEx profile were not only equipped with these tools, their higher levels of effortful control also oriented them towards stronger self-regulation and more goal-directed behaviours (Pereira et al, 2020;Rueda, 2012). Although effortful control was removed in the reduced model in all regression models across the two category learning tasks, this may be due to effortful control being a weaker predictor than affective temperament in predicting the same variances in performance accuracy.…”