The Philosophy of Mind-Wandering

Standard psychological definitions of mind-wandering as task-unrelated or stimulus-independent thought have significant shortcomings: they miss the dynamic nature of mind-wandering, include task-unrelated thoughts that are not mind-wandering, and exclude task-related mind-wandering. Philosophical analysis offers improved accounts, particularly defining mind-wandering as 'unguided thinking.' This definition is conceptually and phenomenologically precise and can be operationalized for empirical research, unlike definitions based on meta-awareness, cognitive agency, or disunity.

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Abstract

This chapter provides an introduction to the philosophy of mind-wandering. It begins with a philosophical critique of the standard psychological definitions of mind-wandering as task-unrelated thought or stimulus-independent thought. Although these definitions have helped bring mind-wandering research onto center stage in psychology and cognitive neuroscience, they have substantial limitations. They do not account for the dynamics of mind-wandering, task-unrelated thought that does not qualify as mind-wandering, or the ways in which mind-wandering can be task-related. The chapter reviews philosophical accounts that improve upon the current psychological definitions, in particular an account of mind-wandering as “unguided thinking.” It critically assesses the view that mind-wandering can be defined as thought lacking meta-awareness and cognitive agency, as well as the view that mind-wandering is disunified thinking. The definition of mind-wandering as unguided thinking not only is conceptually and phenomenologically precise, but also can be operationalized in a principled way for empirical research.