TY - GEN
T1 - A wandering mind cannot resolve conflicts in displayed information
AU - Choi, Heesun
AU - Nam, Chang S.
AU - Feng, Jing
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Human minds often wander around while performing a task. When the mind wanders, attention drifts away from task-relevant perceptual information, leading to deteriorated performance on the task at hand. The current study aims to examine how mind-wandering is associated with different aspects of attentional functions that are critical for perceptual processing of displayed information. Participants completed the Attention Network Task that assessed efficiencies of alerting, orienting, and executive functions of attention. During this task, participants reported their state of mind (focusing on the task or mindwandering). The results showed that mind-wandering was particularly associated with impairments on executive function, which suggests that an ability to resolve conflicts in displayed information can be impaired when a mind wanders. Our findings suggest that, in work environment where mind-wandering is more likely to occur, tasks requiring conflict resolution in displayed information may be significantly impacted. Mechanisms of mind-wandering and implications in practical settings were discussed.
AB - Human minds often wander around while performing a task. When the mind wanders, attention drifts away from task-relevant perceptual information, leading to deteriorated performance on the task at hand. The current study aims to examine how mind-wandering is associated with different aspects of attentional functions that are critical for perceptual processing of displayed information. Participants completed the Attention Network Task that assessed efficiencies of alerting, orienting, and executive functions of attention. During this task, participants reported their state of mind (focusing on the task or mindwandering). The results showed that mind-wandering was particularly associated with impairments on executive function, which suggests that an ability to resolve conflicts in displayed information can be impaired when a mind wanders. Our findings suggest that, in work environment where mind-wandering is more likely to occur, tasks requiring conflict resolution in displayed information may be significantly impacted. Mechanisms of mind-wandering and implications in practical settings were discussed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84981747703&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1541931215591234
DO - 10.1177/1541931215591234
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84981747703
T3 - Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
SP - 1397
EP - 1401
BT - 2015 International Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2015
PB - Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Inc.
T2 - 59th International Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, HFES 2015
Y2 - 26 October 2015 through 30 October 2015
ER -