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Adrift in the Stream of Thought: The Effects of Mind Wandering on Executive Control and Working Memory Capacity

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Handbook of Individual Differences in Cognition

Part of the book series: The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality ((SSHE))

Abstract

Our minds wander. Sometimes, that’s good – we can ponder scientific questions, practice important conversations, or just plan daily events while we engage in routine or dull tasks. Sometimes, thought, that’s bad – we may worry excessively, reexperience traumatic events repeatedly, or (most relevant to present purposes) simply become distracted by thoughts, images, or fantasies that interfere with our ongoing activities. Such interference is especially likely to become problematic during tasks that are cognitively demanding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402-6170, USA

    Jennifer C. McVay & Michael J. Kane

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  1. Jennifer C. McVay
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  2. Michael J. Kane
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Correspondence to Michael J. Kane .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Al. Mickiewicza 3, Cracow, 31-120, Poland

    Aleksandra Gruszka

  2. Dept. Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Dyer Hall 217, Cincinnati, 45221, USA

    Gerald Matthews

  3. Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Al. Mickiewicza 3, Cracow, 31-120, Poland

    Blazej Szymura

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McVay, J.C., Kane, M.J. (2010). Adrift in the Stream of Thought: The Effects of Mind Wandering on Executive Control and Working Memory Capacity. In: Gruszka, A., Matthews, G., Szymura, B. (eds) Handbook of Individual Differences in Cognition. The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1210-7_19

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