A Multifaceted Study on the Positive Functions of Mind-Wandering

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K04420
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Gakugei University
• Principal Investigator: SEKIGUCHI Takahiro 東京学芸大学, 連合学校教育学研究科, 教授 (90334458)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-10-21 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: マインドワンダリング / 課題無関連思考 / 好奇心 / 無意図的音楽イメージ / イヤーワーム / 無意図的認知

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The positive functions of mind wandering (MW; task-unrelated thought) was examined from various angles, and the following two findings were obtained mainly.
1)A model was established that diversive curiosity directly affects the occurrence of MW, while trait anxiety, a negative trait, only indirectly affects MW. Therefore, it became clear that MW was not based on the anxiety and other negative feelings, but based on the positive motive of wanting to know various things.
2)It was found that the obsessive-compulsive tendencies affected the occurrence and emotional valence (positivity) of the involuntary musical imagery, which is a music MW. Furthermore, it was suggested that involuntary musical imagery had the positive function which kept the feeling state pleasantly.

Free Research Field

認知心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の成果は，マインドワンダリング（MW），無意図的音楽イメージの生起メカニズムをそのポジティブ機能を含めて包括的に示すものであり，以後の研究が前提とすべき有用なモデルを提供している。また，MWが知的好奇心というポジティブな特性を背景とすることは，本研究が世界で初めて示したものであり，これにより，ネガティブなものと考えられがちなMWの位置づけを大きく変えることができた。この成果は，今後，MWを用いた感情コントロールや創造性開発などへ応用しうる社会的意義を持つ。