The metronome response task for measuring mind wandering: Replication attempt and extension of three studies by Seli et al

Abstract

Science requires replicable tools to measure its intended constructs. Attention research has developed tools that have been used in mind-wandering research, but mind-wandering measures often rely on response-inhibition, which introduces speed-accuracy trade-offs that may conflate errors for mind-wandering. We sought to replicate three studies that used an improved mindwandering measure: the Metronome Response Task (MRT). In a large (N=300) multisite sample, the primary MRT finding was replicated, showing that continuous rhythmic response time variability reliably predicted self-reported mind-wandering. Our findings also show previously undetected differences between intentional and unintentional mind-wandering. While previously reported mediators (motivation) and moderators (confidence) did not replicate, additional covariates add predictive value and additional constructs (e.g., boredom, effort) demonstrate convergent validity. The MRT is useful for inducing and measuring mind-wandering and provides an especially replicable tool. The MRT's measurement of attention could support future models of the complete cycle of sustained attention.

Mind wandering, motivation, and task performance over time: Evidence that motivation insulates people from the negative effects of mind wandering.

“…Additionally, we found that higher rates of motivation were associated with better performance on the MRT task. This latter result is notable in that a recently attempted conceptual replication of Seli et al (2013) failed to find an association between overall rates of motivation and overall performance on the MRT task (Anderson, Petranker, Lin, & Farb, 2020). Here, we do find a significant association.…”

Do Attentional Lapses Account for the Worst Performance Rule?

“…Besides self-reported attentional lapses, one of the objective measures (i.e., the RT variability in the MRT) also contributed to the explanation of the WPR. The MRT is typically used as an alternative, more objective measure of attentional lapses ( Anderson et al 2021 ; Seli et al 2013 ). However, Figure 4 and Figure 5 show that the MRT explained not only the slope of the WPR but also large parts of the covariances and correlations over the whole RT distribution.…”

Temporal structure in sensorimotor variability: a stable trait, but what for?

“…For example, throughout a task, we may feel more on-task on some moments and more off-task on others. It has been found that these fluctuations in subjective attentional state correlate locally with fluctuations in performance (e.g., consistency during synchronised tapping), which deteriorates when one feels more off-task (Anderson et al, 2021;Laflamme et al, 2018;Seli et al, 2013;Thomson et al, 2014).…”

“…Consistent with this, we find that data the MRT, which is also time-estimation-based, showed relatively high structure. Anderson et al, 2021), participants who did both the SART and Visual Search task (Jin et al, 2019)…”

“…The archival MRT data fromAnderson et al (2021) includes a single session of the same task plus an attention-deficit related traits questionnaire on a larger sample. The data fromJin et al (2019) uses another paradigm traditional in the mind wandering literature (the sustained attention task -SART), in conjunction with a Visual Search, very common in the visual and cognitive literatures.…”