Mind wandering in daily life: The role of emotional valence and intentionality dimensions.

Factors that predict mind wandering in the laboratory and in daily life differ (Kane et al., 2007, 2017). However, it is unknown how these predictors may vary when considering two identified dimensions of mind wandering-intentionality and emotional valence. We examined this with a 1-week daily-life experience sampling study with laboratory-based measures of working memory, personality, anxiety, and dispositional mindfulness predicting mind wandering in daily life. Overall, our results suggest that predictors of mind wandering in daily life vary based on both the intentionality and emotional valence dimension of the off-task thought. Dispositional mindfulness was predictive of neutral, intentional, and overall rates of mind wandering. Interactions between working memory and concentration level were observed for some but not all dimensions of mind wandering. The current findings suggest that is it critical to consider both intentionality and emotional valence dimensions to understand individual differences in mind wandering in daily life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).