How Does the Waking and Sleeping Brain Produce Spontaneous Thought and Imagery, and Why?

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Antrobus
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
Hard Evidence ◽  
Future Value ◽  
Spontaneous Imagery ◽  
Spontaneous Thought

Although mind-wandering and dreaming often appear as trivial or distracting cognitive processes, this chapter suggests that they may also contribute to the evaluation, sorting, and saving of representations of recent events of future value to an individual. But 50 years after spontaneous imagery—night dreaming—was first compared to concurrent cortical EEG, there is limited hard evidence on the neural processes that produce either visual dreaming imagery or the speech imagery of waking spontaneous thought. The authors propose here an outline of a neurocognitive model of such processes with suggestions for future research that may contribute to a better understanding of their utility.

The Mind Wanders with Ease

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Stan ◽  
Kalina Christoff
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ongoing Activity ◽  
Spontaneous Thought ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Independent Thought ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Way

Although mind-wandering has received increased attention in the field of cognitive neuroscience, definitions have not always aligned. Most have emphasized the contents of thought, treating it as synonymous with either task-unrelated thought or stimulus-independent thought. Such definitions miss an important aspect of what it means to let one’s mind wander: the easeful way that thoughts move about. A more recent definition looks, instead, at the dynamics of thought—the way that thoughts unfold over time—positioning mind-wandering as a type of spontaneous thought. By doing so, it is therefore more readily equipped to incorporate this quality of ease. While the term mind-wandering can sometimes refer either to a momentary event or to an ongoing activity, both usages, this chapter argues, will be unsatisfactory if they do not address this gentle mode of movement. Some benefits that ease can provide for future research are proposed.

scholarly journals Does the type of mind wandering matter? Extending the inquiry about the role of mind wandering in the IT use experience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Klesel ◽  
Frederike Marie Oschinsky ◽  
Colin Conrad ◽  
Bjoern Niehaves
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Impact Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Test Statistic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Cognitive Absorption

PurposeThis study sought to distinguish characteristics of cognitive processes while using information technology. In particular, it identifies similarities and differences between mind wandering and cognitive absorption in technology-related settings in an effort to develop a deeper understanding of the role that mind wandering plays when using information technology.Design/methodology/approachData was gathered using an online survey including responses from 619 English-speaking adults in 2019. We applied a confirmatory factor analysis and used a robust variant of maximum likelihood estimator with robust standard errors and a Satorra–Bentler scaled test statistic. The data analysis procedure was conducted with the R environment using the psych package for descriptive analysis, and lavaan to investigate the factorial structure and the underlying correlations.FindingsWe discuss the benefits of carefully differentiating between cognitive processes in Information Systems research and depict avenues how future research can address current shortcomings with a careful investigation of neurophysiological antecedents.Originality/valueTo date, mind wandering has been explored as a single phenomenon, though research in reference disciplines has begun to distinguish varieties and how they distinctly impact behavior. We demonstrate that this distinction is also important for our discipline by showing how two specific types of mind wandering (i.e. deliberate and spontaneous mind wandering) are differently correlated with sub-dimensions of cognitive absorption, a well-studied construct.

The Social Neuroscience of Cooperation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Joseph Van Bavel
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Future Research ◽  
A Value ◽  
Group Cooperation ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cooperative Decision Making

We review literature from several fields to describe common experimental tasks used to measure human cooperation as well as the theoretical models that have been used to characterize cooperative decision-making, as well as brain regions implicated in cooperation. Building on work in neuroeconomics, we suggest a value-based account may provide the most powerful understanding the psychology and neuroscience of group cooperation. We also review the role of individual differences and social context in shaping the mental processes that underlie cooperation and consider gaps in the literature and potential directions for future research on the social neuroscience of cooperation. We suggest that this multi-level approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the mental and neural processes that underlie the decision to cooperate with others.

Focused Tasks, Mental Actions and Second Language Learning. Cognitive and Connectionist Accounts of Task Effectiveness

2006 ◽  
Vol 152 ◽  
pp. 35-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Machteld Moonen ◽  
Rick de Graaff ◽  
Gerard Westhoff
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depth Of Processing ◽  
Mental Actions ◽  
Involvement Load Hypothesis

Abstract This paper presents a theoretical framework to estimate the effectiveness of second language tasks in which the focus is on the acquisition of new linguistic items, such as vocabulary or grammar, the so-called focused tasks (R. Ellis, 2003). What accounts for the learning impact offocused tasks? We shall argue that the task-based approach (e.g. Skehan, 1998, Robinson, 2001) does not provide an in-depth account of how cognitive processes, elicited by a task, foster the acquisition of new linguistic elements. We shall then review the typologies of cognitive processes derived from research on learning strategies (Chamot & O'Malley, 1994), from the involvement load hypothesis (Laufer & Hulstijn, 2001), from the depth of processing hypothesis (Craik & Lockhart, 1972) and from connectionism (e.g Broeder & Plunkett, 1997; N. Ellis, 2003). The combined insights of these typologies form the basis of the multi-feature hypothesis, which predicts that retention and ease of activation of new linguistic items are improved by mental actions which involve a wide variety of different features, simultaneously and frequently. A number of implications for future research shall be discussed.

If Eyes are the Window to Our Soul, What Role does Eye-Tracking Play in Accounting Research?

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward J. Lynch ◽  
Lindsay M. Andiola
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Behavioral Accounting ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Instructional Resource ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Research Domains

ABSTRACT Recent advances in technology have increased the accessibility and ease in using eye-tracking as a research tool. These advances have the potential to benefit behavioral accounting researchers' understanding of the cognitive processes underlying individuals' judgments, decisions, and behaviors. However, despite its potential and wide use in other disciplines, few behavioral accounting studies use eye-tracking. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize accounting researchers with eye-tracking, including its advantages and limitations as a research tool. We start by providing an overview of eye-tracking and discussing essential terms and useful metrics, as well as the psychological constructs they proxy. We then summarize eye-tracking research across research domains, review accounting studies that use eye-tracking, and identify future research directions across accounting topics. Finally, we provide an instructional resource to guide those researchers interested in using eye-tracking, including important considerations at each stage of the study. JEL Classifications: M41; C91.

Constructive realism: In defense of the objective reality of perspectives

Human Affairs ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Madzia
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
John Dewey ◽  
William James ◽  
Cognitive Sciences ◽  
Objective Reality ◽  
Constructive Realism ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
The World ◽  
Epistemological Position ◽  
Epistemological Realism

AbstractThe paper proposes an outline of a reconciliatory approach to the perennial controversy between epistemological realism and anti-realism (constructionism). My main conceptual source in explaining this view is the philosophy of pragmatism, more specifically, the epistemological theories of George H. Mead, John Dewey, and also William James’ radical empiricism. First, the paper analyzes the pragmatic treatment of the goal-directedness of action, especially with regard to Mead’s notion of attitudes, and relates it to certain contemporary epistemological theories provided by the cognitive sciences (Maturana, Rizzolatti, Clark). Against this background, the paper presents a philosophical as well as empirical justification of why we should interpret the environment and its objects in terms of possibilities for action. In Mead’s view, the objects and events of our world emerge within stable patterns of organism-environment interactions, which he called “perspectives”. According to pragmatism as well as the aforementioned cognitive scientists, perception and other cognitive processes include not only neural processes in our heads but also the world itself. Elaborating on Mead’s concept of perspectives, the paper argues in favor of the epistemological position called “constructive realism.”

scholarly journals Cognition and the evolution of camouflage

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1825) ◽  
pp. 20152890 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Skelhorn ◽  
Candy Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Animal Cognition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Context ◽  
The Past ◽  
Camouflage Patterns ◽  
Predator Defence

Camouflage is one of the most widespread forms of anti-predator defence and prevents prey individuals from being detected or correctly recognized by would-be predators. Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence of interest in both the evolution of prey camouflage patterns, and in understanding animal cognition in a more ecological context. However, these fields rarely collide, and the role of cognition in the evolution of camouflage is poorly understood. Here, we review what we currently know about the role of both predator and prey cognition in the evolution of prey camouflage, outline why cognition may be an important selective pressure driving the evolution of camouflage and consider how studying the cognitive processes of animals may prove to be a useful tool to study the evolution of camouflage, and vice versa. In doing so, we highlight that we still have a lot to learn about the role of cognition in the evolution of camouflage and identify a number of avenues for future research.

Priors and Prejudice: How prior knowledge shapes intergroup perception

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh McGovern ◽  
Marte Otten
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Social Neuroscience ◽  
Intergroup Bias ◽  
Predictive Processing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Intergroup Perception ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Processing Framework

Bayesian processing has become a popular framework by which to understand cognitive processes. However, relatively little has been done to understand how Bayesian processing in the brain can be applied to understanding intergroup cognition. We assess how categorization and evaluation processes unfold based on priors about the ethnic outgroup being perceived. We then consider how the precision of prior knowledge about groups differentially influence perception depending on how the information about that group was learned affects the way in which it is recalled. Finally, we evaluate the mechanisms of how humans learn information about other ethnic groups and assess how the method of learning influences future intergroup perception. We suggest that a predictive processing framework for assessing prejudice could help accounting for seemingly disparate findings on intergroup bias from social neuroscience, social psychology, and evolutionary psychology. Such an integration has important implications for future research on prejudice at the interpersonal, intergroup, and societal levels.

scholarly journals Mind wandering and attention during focused meditation: A fine-grained temporal analysis of fluctuating cognitive states

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Hasenkamp ◽  
Christine Wilson-Mendenhall ◽  
Erica Duncan ◽  
Lawrence Barsalou
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Sustained Attention ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Default Mode ◽  
Cognitive Correlates ◽  
Cognitive States ◽  
Task Positive Network

Studies have suggested that the default mode network is active during mind wandering, which is often experienced intermittently during sustained attention tasks. Conversely, an anticorrelated task-positive network is thought to subserve various forms of attentional processing. Understanding how these two systems work together is central for understanding many forms of optimal and sub-optimal task performance. Here we present a basic model of naturalistic cognitive fluctuations between mind wandering and attentional states derived from the practice of focused attention meditation. This model proposes four intervals in a cognitive cycle: mind wandering, awareness of mind wandering, shifting of attention, and sustained attention. People who train in this style of meditation cultivate their abilities to monitor cognitive processes related to attention and distraction, making them well suited to report on these mental events. Fourteen meditation practitioners performed breath-focused meditation while undergoing fMRI scanning. When participants realized their mind had wandered, they pressed a button and returned their focus to the breath. The four intervals above were then constructed around these button presses. We hypothesized that periods of mind wandering would be associated with default mode activity, whereas cognitive processes engaged during awareness of mind wandering, shifting of attention and sustained attention would engage attentional subnetworks. Analyses revealed activity in brain regions associated with the default mode during mind wandering, and in salience network regions during awareness of mind wandering. Elements of the executive network were active during shifting and sustained attention. Furthermore, activations during these cognitive phases were modulated by lifetime meditation experience. These findings support and extend theories about cognitive correlates of distributed brain networks.

scholarly journals Catching the wandering mind: Meditation as a window into spontaneous thought

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Hasenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Great Utility ◽  
Spontaneous Thought ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Subjective Reports ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Research Recommendations

This chapter considers a form of attention-based meditation as a novel means to gain insight into the mechanisms and phenomenology of spontaneous thought. Focused attention (FA) meditation involves keeping one’s attention on a chosen object, and repeatedly catching the mind when it strays from the object into spontaneous thought. This practice can thus be viewed as a kind of self-caught mind wandering paradigm, which suggests it may have great utility for research on spontaneous thought. Current findings about the effects of meditation on mind wandering and meta-awareness are reviewed, and implications for new research paradigms that leverage first-person reporting during FA meditation are discussed. Specifically, research recommendations are made that may enable customized analysis of individual episodes of mind wandering and their neural correlates. It is hoped that by combining detailed subjective reports from experienced meditators with rigorous objective physiological measures, we can advance our understanding of human consciousness.

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