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

日常活动对注意力的要求差别很大（例如，学习和打曲棍球）。然而，几乎在每一种情况下，我们都必须处理潜在的干扰——不需要的信息争夺我们的注意力。分心可以有多种形式，包括环境的景象和声音，习惯性的行为，甚至是我们自己的想法。我的研究计划的中心目标是了解人们如何调节注意力以满足日常生活的动态需求。第1条研究线的目的是解释选择性视觉注意的基本机制，即将注意力集中在外部信息上，同时忽略分散注意力的、与任务无关的信息的能力。我将研究不同情境需求（例如，干扰的近时性和频率）的经验和学习如何塑造选择性注意，并使用实验和计算方法，测试当前选择性注意理论解释的预测。研究线#2的目的是解释与管理不想要的、分散注意力的想法（走神）有关的认知机制。与普遍认为的走神反映了监管失败的观点相反，拟议的工作旨在评估走神在多大程度上是功能性自我调节过程的副产品。具体来说，我将研究精神努力投入和潜在回报之间的权衡如何解释走神。研究线#3的目的是解释人们如何评估自己的注意力能力。知道什么时候你会分心，以及被什么分心，这对调节你的注意力很重要。然而，令人惊讶的是，我们对人们如何评估自己的注意力知之甚少。在这里，我研究了元认知机制，使人们能够准确地监控他们的注意力，评估先前的干扰，并预测未来的注意力表现。第4条研究线的目的是解释注意力调节在创意产生中的作用。创造性认知通常被认为受益于灵活性，它允许一个人在方法、思想和想法之间快速转换。拟议中的研究将检验一个理论观点，即从创造性任务中脱离注意力可能是有益的，因为它有助于克服固定和连接远程想法。总之，拟议的研究有可能揭示注意力调节的基本机制，并为内部和外部干扰的管理提供实用的见解。我的研究计划包括在五年的资助期内培养5名本科生和4名研究生。我的实验室的培训包括实验、计算和数据分析方法的独特融合，为学生在学术界和工业界的成功职业生涯做好准备。

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.