Shrimpton Daisy, McGann Deborah, Riby Leigh M
Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Eur J Psychol. 2017 Nov 30;13(4):794-809. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v13i4.1425. eCollection 2017 Nov.
Current research into mind-wandering is beginning to acknowledge that this process is one of heterogeneity. Following on from previous findings highlighting the role of self-focus during mind wandering, the present study aimed to examine individual differences in rumination and self-reflection and the impact such styles of self-focus may have on mind-wandering experiences. Thirty-three participants were required to complete the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART), aimed at inducing mind-wandering episodes, whilst also probing the content of thought in terms of temporal focus. Self-report questionnaires were also administered after the SART to measure dispositional differences in style and beliefs regarding mind-wandering and assessments of individual differences in rumination and self-reflection. Those individuals with reflective self-focus showed a strong positive association with positive and constructive thoughts. Critically, ruminative self-focus was positively associated with a tendency for the mind to wander towards anguished fantasies, failures and aggression, but it was also positively associated with positive and constructive thoughts. Furthermore, while dispositional differences in self-focus showed no relationship with the temporal perspective of thoughts when probed during a cognitive task, performance on the task itself was related to whether participants were thinking about the past, present or future during that activity. Such findings are discussed in line with previous research, and provide a further step towards accounting for the heterogeneous nature of mind-wandering.
当前对走神的研究开始认识到，这一过程具有异质性。基于之前强调自我关注在走神过程中作用的研究结果，本研究旨在考察沉思和自我反思中的个体差异，以及这种自我关注方式可能对走神体验产生的影响。33名参与者被要求完成持续注意力反应任务（SART），该任务旨在引发走神事件，同时从时间关注点方面探究思维内容。在SART之后还进行了自我报告问卷调查，以测量在走神风格和信念方面的性格差异，以及对沉思和自我反思中个体差异的评估。那些具有反思性自我关注的个体与积极且建设性的思维表现出强烈的正相关。至关重要的是，沉思性自我关注与思维倾向于陷入痛苦的幻想、失败和攻击性呈正相关，但它也与积极且建设性的思维呈正相关。此外，虽然在认知任务中探究时，自我关注的性格差异与思维的时间视角没有关系，但任务本身的表现与参与者在该活动期间是在思考过去、现在还是未来有关。这些发现将结合之前的研究进行讨论，并为解释走神的异质性本质又迈进了一步。
