TLC #023: Mind Wandering - How To Focus and Sustain Learners’ Attention
In this edition of the Learning Chronicle newsletter, we explore the phenomenon called mind wandering; what it is, its causes, effects, and implications for learning and learning practices.
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Here is your weekly dose of “The Learning Chronicle Newsletter” weekly curated content that leverages the science of learning, data, and evidence-based research to help K–12 educators, stakeholders, and learners optimize for how learning happens while preparing learners for the future of work.
Welcome to all new subscribers. I am Omotayo Olorunfemi; a learning and development specialist. Check out the archive for previous editions using the first link above. Welcome!!! Once again.
One Learning Quote
“Productivity is far more related to undivided attention and openness than it is to time.” ― Donna Goddard
One Article
Have you ever found yourself lost in thought, daydreaming, or simply unable to focus on the task at hand?
What was the effect of this experience on your overall performance, productivity, and quality of output on the task at hand?
Do you know that mind wandering can lead to increased creativity and problem-solving abilities?
Do you also know that mind wandering can lead to decreased productivity and poor performance on tasks that require focused attention?
The human mind is a complex entity that is capable of various activities, including thinking, processing information, and making decisions. However, it is also prone to a phenomenon known as "mind wandering."
Mind wandering is a term that describes the process of the mind shifting its focus from the current task or activity to other thoughts or stimuli that are unrelated to the task at hand.
Mind wandering is a phenomenon that occurs when our thoughts drift away from what we are currently doing or thinking about. It can happen during any activity, including work, reading, watching a movie, or even during conversations. When we are mind-wandering, our attention is focused on our internal thoughts, feelings, and memories instead of the external environment. This experience can be triggered by external stimuli, such as a noise or a distraction, or it can be self-initiated. Mind wandering can be characterized by a lack of awareness of one's surroundings and a decreased ability to focus on the task at hand.
Mind wandering can take different forms, such as daydreaming, mind blanking, or rumination. Daydreaming is a type of mind wandering that involves creating a mental image of a desired outcome or situation. Mind blanking occurs when our thoughts go blank, and we are not actively thinking about anything. Rumination, on the other hand, is a repetitive and negative pattern of thinking about past experiences or worries.
What Causes Mind Wandering?
Several factors can trigger mind wandering. The most common one is boredom or a lack of engagement in the current activity. When a task is too easy or repetitive, the brain tends to disengage, and the mind starts to wander. In contrast, when a task is too difficult or complex, the brain can become overwhelmed, also leading to mind wandering.
Another factor that can cause mind wandering is stress. When we are stressed, our brains tend to focus on potential threats or worries, even if they are not related to the current situation. This can lead to mind wandering and reduce our ability to focus on the task at hand.
Finally, some studies have suggested that mind wandering can be linked to certain personality traits, such as openness to experience and creativity. People who score high on these traits tend to have more spontaneous and free-flowing thoughts, which can lead to mind wandering.
Effects of Mind Wandering
While mind wandering may seem harmless, it can have both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, mind wandering can stimulate creativity, problem-solving, and memory consolidation. When our minds wander, they can make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, leading to new insights and ideas.
On the negative side, mind wandering can lead to decreased productivity and poor performance on tasks that require focused attention (Smallwood & Schooler, 2015). For example, if you are trying to complete a work task that requires your full attention, but your mind keeps wandering to unrelated thoughts, you are likely to make mistakes and take longer to complete the task. In addition, mind wandering has been linked to increased levels of stress and anxiety (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010), as well as decreased levels of happiness (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010).
Implications for Learning
Mind wandering can have both positive and negative implications for learning in K-12. On the positive side, mind wandering can lead to increased creativity and problem-solving abilities (Baird et al., 2012). Students who are encouraged to engage in mind wandering may be better able to generate new ideas and make connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.
On the negative side, mind wandering can negatively impact student learning. For example, students who are prone to mind wandering may struggle to focus during lectures, leading to decreased comprehension and retention of material. Research has shown that mind wandering is associated with decreased activity in brain regions associated with external attention, such as the dorsal attention network (Smallwood et al., 2011). This decreased activity may lead to decreased engagement with learning material and decreased ability to focus on tasks.
Recent research on mind wandering and learning has shed light on the causes and consequences of this mental state. A study conducted by Kam and colleagues (2017) found that mind wandering during a lecture was associated with decreased retention of the material. The study found that students who reported more mind wandering during the lecture had lower scores on a subsequent test compared to those who reported less mind wandering.
Implications for Learning Practice
The implications of mind wandering for learning suggest that educators need to be mindful of students' attention levels during instruction. Teachers can use a variety of strategies to help students stay focused and engaged, such as incorporating interactive activities, providing regular breaks, and encouraging active participation.
In addition, educators can help students develop mindfulness techniques to reduce the frequency of mind wandering. Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing, have been shown to reduce mind wandering and improve attentional control (Mrazek et al., 2013). By incorporating these techniques into learning practice, educators can help students develop the skills they need to stay focused and engaged in learning.
REFERENCE
Baird, B., Smallwood, J., & Schooler, J. W. (2011). Back to the future: Autobiographical planning and the functionality of mind-wandering. Consciousness & Cognition, 20(4), 1604–1611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2011.08.007.
Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M. D., Kam, J. W. Y., Franklin, M. S., & Schooler, J. W. (2012). Inspired by distraction: Mind wandering facilitates creative incubation. Psychological Science, 23(10), 1117–1122. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797612446024.
Killingsworth, M. A, & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330(6006), 932. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1192439.
Mrazek, M. D., Franklin, M. S., Phillips, D. T., Baird, B., & Schooler, J. W. (2013). Mindfulness training improves working memory capacity and GRE performance while reducing mind wandering. Psychological Science, 24(5), 776–781. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797612459659.
Smallwood, J. (2011). Mind-wandering while reading: Attentional decoupling, mindless reading and the cascade model of inattention. Language & Linguistics Compass, 5(2), 63–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-818X.2010.00263.x.
One Video
This two-minute plus video below, posted by Productivity Guy on YouTube, aptly sums up the phenomenon of mind wandering.
What is Mind-Wandering | Explained in 2 min
One Learning Question
Focus starts with elimination, improves with concentration, and compounds with continuation. What will you focus on next week?
What We Are Reading
Frontiers on The Wandering Mind: How the Brain Allows Us to Mentally Wander Off to Another Time and Place
Dr Luke Hobson on 5 Ways Instructional Designers Can Use ChatGPT
Sense and Sensation on A Cognitive Model for Educators: Attention, Encoding, Storage, Retrieval
That’s a wrap for this week.
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