The association between motivation and mind-wandering

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14481
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10040:Experimental psychology-related
• Research Institution: Tokai University (2021-2023); Rikkyo University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Kawagoe Toshikazu 東海大学, 文理融合学部, 講師 (70786079)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: マインドワンダリング / マインドブランキング / モチベーション

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The trait-level association and stability of the two variables, motivation, and mind wandering (MW), were confirmed through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. We referred to their psychological mechanisms, including the executive function. In the course of these explorations, a Japanese version of a questionnaire measuring trait motivation and executive function was independently developed. On the other hand, the coronavirus pandemic did not allow us to show manipulability or causality through interventional studies. To complement this, we published an opinion paper as an international joint research project, taking mind-blanking, which is closely related to MW, as the starting point. We also created both Japanese and English versions of a questionnaire measuring MB (MBQ) to clarify commonalities with MW.

Free Research Field

認知心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マインドワンダリング（MW）は実験課題を用いて研究室内で測定するような状態的なものと、質問紙を用いて日常での傾向について尋ねるような特性的なものに分けられると考えられるが、これまでの研究ではほとんど区別されていなかった。本研究では、それらの独立性を示し、かつモチベーションとの関連性は状態・特性どちらの次元においても確認されることを明らかにした。