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The wandering mind oscillates: EEG alpha power is enhanced during moments of mind-wandering
Open accessAbstract
What is your brain doing while your mind is wandering? This study used a within-subjects experience-sampling design to test whether episodes of mind-wandering during a demanding cognitive task are associated with increases in EEG alpha power. Alpha refers to cyclic oscillations in EEG activity at 8-12 Hz, and has been previously correlated with internally rather than externally directed cognition. Participants completed a speeded performance task with more than 800 trials while EEG was recorded. Intermittent experience-sampling probes asked participants to indicate whether their mind was wandering or on-task. Participants reported mind-wandering in response to approximately half of the probes. EEG alpha power was significantly higher preceding probes to which participants reported mind-wandering, compared with probes to which participants reported being on task. These findings imply that dynamic changes in alpha power may prove a valuable tool in studying momentary fluctuations in mind-wandering.
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“EEG alpha wave perturbations are also correlated with “mind wandering” (Compton et al., 2019) when attention drifts away from a task activity.”
From Consciousness: Matter or EMF? (2023) · cites this paper as Compton et al., 2019
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Metadata
- Authors
- Compton, R. J., Gearinger, D., & Wild, H.
- Affiliations
- Haverford College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Compton, Rebecca J.
- Venue
- Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Published
- 2019-09-09
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1184-1191
- ISSN
- 1530-7026 (ISSN-L)
- 1531-135X
- OpenAlex
- W2972400339
- Cited by
- 168
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 9.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Cognitive Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1632584)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural dynamics and brain function
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Keywords
- mind wandering, EEG alpha power, alpha oscillations, task performance, ecological momentary assessment
- MeSH terms
- Ecological Momentary Assessment, Alpha Rhythm, Attention, Brain, Cognition, Female, Humans, Male, Thinking, Stroop Test
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