Dynamics of spontaneous thoughts

Exploration, attentional profile and the segmentation of the stream of thoughts

Datos Bibliográficos

ID19065387
AutoresAdrien Kérébel (0000-0001-7335-6030, autor de correspondencia), Jacques-Antoine Caille, Jérôme Sackur (0000-0002-8674-0370)
Año2024
Volumen124
Páginas103735-103735
Fecha de publicación2024-08-23
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaConsciousness and Cognition (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1053-8100 • E-ISSN: 1090-2376
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.concog.2024.103735
PMID39173572
OpenAlexW4401832733
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas60

For a long time, clinical knowledge and first-person reports have pointed to individual differences in the dynamics of spontaneous thoughts, in particular in the extreme case of psychiatric conditions (e.g. racing thoughts in Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD; rumination in depression). We used a novel procedure to investigate this individual variability by combining verbal fluency tasks and introspective reports of thought content. Our goal was twofold. First, we tested the hypothesis that a greater segmentation of the stream of thoughts would be associated with trait inattention, in line with subjective reports of ADHD patients. Second, we tested whether the segmentation of the stream of thoughts increased with an increased tendency for exploratory behavior, following recent theoretical claims on the mechanisms underpinning the generation of spontaneous thoughts. Our results support both hypotheses, shedding light on the factors contributing to the individual variability in the dynamics of the stream of thought

Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Fluency · Introspection · Mind-wandering · Rumination · Trait · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Mental Health Research Topics · Mind wandering and attention · Neuroscience · Psychology