What’s On Your Mind? An Investigation of Individual Differences in Mind-Wandering

Abstract

Mind-wandering is a ubiquitous human experience characterized by task-unrelated thought, or thought that deviates from the present task. Past research has found that mind-wandering is a vital moderator of psychological well-being and is associated with important outcomes like academic attainment and psychopathology. However, the majority of research on mind-wandering examined task-unrelated thought when attending to an external task. Few studies have investigated mind-wandering in the absence of external stimulation (e.g., leaving participants alone with their thoughts). Additionally, research on individual differences in mind-wandering is limited. This secondary data analysis was done with a preliminary study examining the relationship between personality traits and mind-wandering while accounting for various dimensions of mind-wandering (e.g., emotions, temporal orientation, and valence of self-generated thought). Results found that personality traits are associated with positive and negative emotions experienced after mind-wandering. These findings expand our understanding of the relationship between personality and mind-wandering by showing that individual differences in personality may influence mind-wandering experiences.