Local use-dependent activity triggers mind wandering: resource depletion or executive dysfunction?

Abstract

<p>Mind wandering (MW) is a highly prevalent phenomenon despite its negative consequences on behaviour. Current views about its origin share the idea that MW occurs due to changes in the executive functions system. Here, we argue that not all instances of MW are necessarily related to changes in that system. Combining results from MW and sleep research, we propose that MW could also be initiated by the depletion of resources in primary task-related networks. To test this hypothesis, participants performed four sessions of the texture discrimination task (TDT) on a day. The TDT is a perceptual learning task in which performance is related to the local build-up of sleep-pressure. During the TDT, MW was recorded in both a subjective (i.e., with thought probes) and an objective (i.e., phasic pupillary response) manner. Results showed that the pattern of behaviour in the TDT was mirrored in the objective measure of MW. Also for the subjective measure the pattern was similar to that of task performance, but it failed to reach significance. These results demonstrate that not all MW is necessarily related to changes in the executive system and support the hypothesis that MW can be related to the depletion of local resources.</p>

Local build-up of sleep pressure could trigger mind wandering: evidence from sleep, circadian and mind wandering research

“…Results showed that an objective marker of MW (i.e. pupil phasic response) mirrored changes in task performance related to changes in visual processing rather than the changes in the executive system (Jubera-Garcia et al, 2020).…”

Passive visual stimulation induces fatigue or improvement depending on cognitive load

“…More recent work has found performance in this task to correlate with measures of local resource depletion (Jubera-Garcia et al, 2020). Here, we sought to determine if prolonged passive stimulation with flashing stimuli (hereon referred to as saturation) of specific portions of the visual field (referred to as quadrant) could induce a degradation in the performance of the TDT, measured at different timepoints of the experimental procedure, namely baseline, middle and conclusion (see Figure 1).…”