Understanding and modifying mind wandering

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Attention is difficult to sustain for extended periods of time, and often difficult to sustain for even a few minutes. As a result most people find their thoughts regularly drift away from what they are supposed to be doing to other pressing concerns. While we know maintaining attention is difficult, we do not yet fully understand why this is the case, or what we can do about it. The primary goal for the proposed research is therefore to better understand the basic mechanisms supporting the maintenance of attention. Beyond simple identification and understanding of these basic mechanisms, however, the proposed research also holds the potential to reduce the frequency of catastrophic mistakes that occur as a result of inattention – such as car accidents and train crashes. This research program is divided into three related phases, designed to first identify important characteristics of the link between attention (a mental state) and physical, observable, behaviour. Later, these characteristics afford improved identification and manipulation of attention.***Recent research has supported the notion that when one's mind wanders away from the task at hand it is associated with increased fidgeting. This suggests there is a strong mind-body link, and provides one important method for detecting inattention without distracting the individual. Another way to examine the mind-body link is to more directly measure attention in terms of brain activity. The recent development of inexpensive brain monitoring devices provides new opportunities to monitor attention in everyday situations. The use of these new devices requires scientific validation first, however. Accordingly, the first phase of the proposed research is designed to better identify unobtrusive indicators of inattention, in order to improve our ability to predict and, later, manipulate inattention.****The second phase of the proposed research project is designed to improve our ability to predict inattention. Whereas the first phase should identify observable characteristics that are associated with a loss of attention, they are unlikely to offer perfect prediction. In the second phase of the proposed research program we will try to improve prediction by developing both general principles of the mind-body link (in the context of body movement and brain activity) and specific individual models that can improve the prediction of inattention within individuals after a brief calibration period.****The third phase is designed to improve our ability to manipulate inattention. While some research has already been done in this area, it is not yet clear how to manipulate attention without ultimately decreasing one's focus on the task at hand. Different methods of cueing attention, and reducing inattention, will be explored. This third phase will help forge a link between academic understanding of inattention and improvement of attention in real-world scenarios.***