Adaptive cognitive control, mind wandering, and the benefits of attentional disengagement.

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Everyday activities can vary wildly in terms of their demands on attention (e.g., studying versus playing hockey). In nearly every case, however, we must deal with potential distractions-unwanted information vying for our attention. Distractions can come in a variety of forms including environmental sights and sounds, habitual behaviours, and even our own thoughts. The central aim of my research program is to understand how people regulate attention to meet the dynamic demands of everyday life. The objective of Research Line #1 is to explain the basic mechanisms underlying selective visual attention, which is the ability to focus attention on external information, while ignoring distracting, task-irrelevant information. I will examine how experience and learning with different situational demands (e.g., recency and frequency of distractions) shape selective attention and, using experimental and computational methods, test predictions of current theoretical accounts of selective attention. The objective of Research Line #2 is to explain the cognitive mechanisms involved in managing unwanted, distracting thoughts (mind wandering). In contrast to the commonly held view that mind wandering reflects a failure in regulation, the proposed work seeks to evaluate the extent to which mind wandering is a byproduct of a functional self-regulation process. Specifically, I will examine how the trade-off between mental effort investment and the potential for rewarding outcomes can explain mind wandering. The objective of Research Line #3 is to explain how people assess their own attentional abilities. Knowing when you will be distracted, and by what, is important for being able to regulate your attention. Surprisingly, however, we know very little about how people come to assess their own attention. Here, I examine the metacognitive mechanisms that enable people to accurately monitor their attention, assess prior distractions, and predict future attentional performance. The objective of Research Line #4 is to explain the role of attention regulation in creative idea generation. Creative cognition is typically thought to benefit from flexibility which allows one to quickly shift between approaches, thoughts, and ideas. The proposed studies will test the theoretical view that attentional disengagement from a creative task can be beneficial because it helps overcome fixation and connect remote ideas. Together, the proposed research has the potential to uncover the basic mechanisms that underlie attention regulation and provide practical insights into the management of internal and external distractions. My research proposal includes training for 5 undergraduates and 4 graduate students over the five-year granting period. Training in my lab includes a unique blend of experimental, computational, and data analytic methods preparing students for successful careers in academia and industry.