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Attention need not always apply: Mind wandering impedes explicit but not implicit sequence learning.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Brosowsky, NP; Murray, S; Schooler, JW; Seli, P
Published in: Cognition
April 2021

According to the attentional resources account, mind wandering (or "task-unrelated thought") is thought to compete with a focal task for attentional resources. Here, we tested two key predictions of this account: First, that mind wandering should not interfere with performance on a task that does not require attentional resources; second, that as task requirements become automatized, performance should improve and depth of mind wandering should increase. Here, we used a serial reaction time task with implicit- and explicit-learning groups to test these predictions. Providing novel evidence for the attentional resource account's first prediction, results indicated that depth of mind wandering was negatively associated with learning in the explicit, but not the implicit, group, indicating that mind wandering is associated with impaired explicit, but not implicit, learning. Corroborating the attention resource account's second prediction, we also found that, overall, performance improved while at the same time depth of mind wandering increased. From an implicit-learning perspective, these results are consistent with the claim that explicit learning is impaired under attentional load, but implicit learning is not. Data, analysis code, manuscript preparation code, and pre-print available at osf.io/qzry7/.

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Published In

Cognition

DOI

EISSN

1873-7838

ISSN

0010-0277

Publication Date

April 2021

Volume

209

Start / End Page

104530

Related Subject Headings

  • Reaction Time
  • Mental Disorders
  • Learning
  • Humans
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Cognition
  • Attention
  • 20 Language, Communication and Culture
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences
 

Citation

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Brosowsky, N. P., Murray, S., Schooler, J. W., & Seli, P. (2021). Attention need not always apply: Mind wandering impedes explicit but not implicit sequence learning. Cognition, 209, 104530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104530
Brosowsky, Nicholaus P., Samuel Murray, Jonathan W. Schooler, and Paul Seli. “Attention need not always apply: Mind wandering impedes explicit but not implicit sequence learning.Cognition 209 (April 2021): 104530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104530.
Brosowsky NP, Murray S, Schooler JW, Seli P. Attention need not always apply: Mind wandering impedes explicit but not implicit sequence learning. Cognition. 2021 Apr;209:104530.
Brosowsky, Nicholaus P., et al. “Attention need not always apply: Mind wandering impedes explicit but not implicit sequence learning.Cognition, vol. 209, Apr. 2021, p. 104530. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104530.
Brosowsky NP, Murray S, Schooler JW, Seli P. Attention need not always apply: Mind wandering impedes explicit but not implicit sequence learning. Cognition. 2021 Apr;209:104530.
Journal cover image

Published In

Cognition

DOI

EISSN

1873-7838

ISSN

0010-0277

Publication Date

April 2021

Volume

209

Start / End Page

104530

Related Subject Headings

  • Reaction Time
  • Mental Disorders
  • Learning
  • Humans
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Cognition
  • Attention
  • 20 Language, Communication and Culture
  • 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences