Mind wandering and self-regulation resources
Does mind wandering consume cognitive or self-regulatory resources, and can reducing it free resources for later self-control?
This idea asks whether a waiting period filled with unmanaged mind wandering is more depleting than a period of focused or meditative attention.
Possible study designs:
- Compare meditators and non-meditators after a waiting period before a self-regulation task.
- Randomly assign participants to mind-wandering, focused attention, open monitoring, or neutral waiting instructions.
- Measure later persistence, inhibitory control, or emotion regulation.
Key risks:
- The ego depletion literature is contested, so outcome selection matters.
- Reduced mind wandering may relax participants rather than preserve a unitary resource.
Related ideas: