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Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Seli, P; Kane, MJ; Smallwood, J; Schacter, DL; Maillet, D; Schooler, JW; Smilek, D
Published in: Trends in cognitive sciences
June 2018

As empirical research on mind-wandering accelerates, we draw attention to an emerging trend in how mind-wandering is conceptualized. Previously articulated definitions of mind-wandering differ from each other in important ways, yet they also maintain overlapping characteristics. This conceptual structure suggests that mind-wandering is best considered from a family-resemblances perspective, which entails treating it as a graded, heterogeneous construct and clearly measuring and describing the specific aspect(s) of mind-wandering that researchers are investigating. We believe that adopting this family-resemblances approach will increase conceptual and methodological connections among related phenomena in the mind-wandering family and encourage a more nuanced and precise understanding of the many varieties of mind-wandering.

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Published In

Trends in cognitive sciences

DOI

EISSN

1879-307X

ISSN

1364-6613

Publication Date

June 2018

Volume

22

Issue

6

Start / End Page

479 / 490

Related Subject Headings

  • Thinking
  • Models, Psychological
  • Humans
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Attention
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences
 

Citation

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Seli, P., Kane, M. J., Smallwood, J., Schacter, D. L., Maillet, D., Schooler, J. W., & Smilek, D. (2018). Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 22(6), 479–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.03.010
Seli, Paul, Michael J. Kane, Jonathan Smallwood, Daniel L. Schacter, David Maillet, Jonathan W. Schooler, and Daniel Smilek. “Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View.Trends in Cognitive Sciences 22, no. 6 (June 2018): 479–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.03.010.
Seli P, Kane MJ, Smallwood J, Schacter DL, Maillet D, Schooler JW, et al. Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View. Trends in cognitive sciences. 2018 Jun;22(6):479–90.
Seli, Paul, et al. “Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View.Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 22, no. 6, June 2018, pp. 479–90. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.tics.2018.03.010.
Seli P, Kane MJ, Smallwood J, Schacter DL, Maillet D, Schooler JW, Smilek D. Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View. Trends in cognitive sciences. 2018 Jun;22(6):479–490.
Journal cover image

Published In

Trends in cognitive sciences

DOI

EISSN

1879-307X

ISSN

1364-6613

Publication Date

June 2018

Volume

22

Issue

6

Start / End Page

479 / 490

Related Subject Headings

  • Thinking
  • Models, Psychological
  • Humans
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Attention
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 5203 Clinical and health psychology
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences