The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling
A unique human characteristic is our ability to mind wander – a state in which we are free to engage in thoughts that are not directly tied to sensations and perceptions from our immediate physical environment. From a neurocognitive perspective, it has been proposed that during mind wandering, our e...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00725/full |
| _version_ | 1818586834319441920 |
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| author | Julia W. Y. Kam Todd C. Handy |
| author_facet | Julia W. Y. Kam Todd C. Handy |
| author_sort | Julia W. Y. Kam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A unique human characteristic is our ability to mind wander – a state in which we are free to engage in thoughts that are not directly tied to sensations and perceptions from our immediate physical environment. From a neurocognitive perspective, it has been proposed that during mind wandering, our executive resources are decoupled from the external environment and directed to these internal thoughts. In this review, we examine an underappreciated aspect of this phenomenon – attenuation of sensory-motor processing – from two perspectives. First, we describe the range of widespread sensory, cognitive and motor processes attenuated during mind wandering states, and how this impacts our neurocognitive processing of external events. We then consider sensory-motor attenuation in a class of clinical neurocognitive disorders that have ties to pathological patterns of decoupling, reviews suggesting that mind wandering and these clinical states may share a common mechanism of sensory-motor attenuation. Taken together, these observations suggest the sensory-motor consequences of decoupled thinking are integral to normal and pathological neurocognitive states. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:59:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ac3351f7d634b7482147c2cf3eaf869 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T08:59:16Z |
| publishDate | 2013-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ac3351f7d634b7482147c2cf3eaf8692022-12-21T22:37:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782013-10-01410.3389/fpsyg.2013.0072555071The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor DecouplingJulia W. Y. Kam0Todd C. Handy1University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaA unique human characteristic is our ability to mind wander – a state in which we are free to engage in thoughts that are not directly tied to sensations and perceptions from our immediate physical environment. From a neurocognitive perspective, it has been proposed that during mind wandering, our executive resources are decoupled from the external environment and directed to these internal thoughts. In this review, we examine an underappreciated aspect of this phenomenon – attenuation of sensory-motor processing – from two perspectives. First, we describe the range of widespread sensory, cognitive and motor processes attenuated during mind wandering states, and how this impacts our neurocognitive processing of external events. We then consider sensory-motor attenuation in a class of clinical neurocognitive disorders that have ties to pathological patterns of decoupling, reviews suggesting that mind wandering and these clinical states may share a common mechanism of sensory-motor attenuation. Taken together, these observations suggest the sensory-motor consequences of decoupled thinking are integral to normal and pathological neurocognitive states.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00725/fulldecouplingmind wanderingInhibition (Psychology)Sensory AttenuationDecoupled ThoughtsExecutive Resources |
| spellingShingle | Julia W. Y. Kam Todd C. Handy The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling Frontiers in Psychology decoupling mind wandering Inhibition (Psychology) Sensory Attenuation Decoupled Thoughts Executive Resources |
| title | The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling |
| title_full | The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling |
| title_fullStr | The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling |
| title_short | The Neurocognitive Consequences of the Wandering Mind: A Mechanistic Account of Sensory-Motor Decoupling |
| title_sort | neurocognitive consequences of the wandering mind a mechanistic account of sensory motor decoupling |
| topic | decoupling mind wandering Inhibition (Psychology) Sensory Attenuation Decoupled Thoughts Executive Resources |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00725/full |
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