Abstract
Mind wandering is characterised by attention drifting from the here and now towards another time or place. Frequent mind wandering is consistently linked with memory and learning declines in adult populations. However, little is known about how mind wandering impacts children. This thesis begins to unpack the link between mind wandering and learning in primary school aged children. Four experiments were performed to assess i) how often children mind wander during an educationally significant activity and ii) if the rate at which children report mind wandering is related to their subsequent ability to remember information from the activity. Three studies were conducted online over videoconferencing software, children listened to audio stories and periodically categorised their thoughts as either on-task or off-task. The children then completed memory tests about the audio stories. It was revealed that they were frequently off-task (24-25%) when listening to an audio story. Additionally, when mind wandering is separated from other conceptually different types of inattention (e.g., thoughts about distractions, task-related interference), it was estimated to occur about 9% of the time. Mind wandering significantly impacted how much children could remember about the audio stories. In the final study, the experimental paradigm was brought to the primary school environment and children listened to an audio story in class, periodically categorising their thoughts as on-task or off-task, and completing memory tests about the story. Children frequently reported being off-task (45%) when engaging in an educationally significant activity in the classroom. More specifically, it was estimated that mind wandering occurred about 22% of the time and significantly impaired how much children could remember about the story immediately after listening to it. At present, the longer-term consequences of mind wandering are less clear. However, educators may need to consider strategies to reduce mind wandering in the classroom.Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2029.
| Date of Award | Jul 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Sponsors | Northern Ireland Department for the Economy |
| Supervisor | Agnieszka Graham (Supervisor) & Teresa McCormack (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Mind wandering
- Task-unrelated thoughts
- attention
- cognitive development
- learning
- memory