IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/eujoag/v19y2022i2d10.1007_s10433-021-00637-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cognitive and non-cognitive variables influencing age-related effect of mind wandering across the adult life span

Author

Listed:
  • Erika Borella

    (University of Padova)

  • Michela Zavagnin

    (University of Padova)

  • Lucia Ronconi

    (University of Padova)

  • Rossana Beni

    (University of Padova)

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effects of aging on mind wandering (MW) using a sustained attention to response task (SART) with a low cognitive demand. All task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) and the subcategory of stimulus-independent thoughts (SITUTs) were examined across the adult life span. The relationship between MW, cognitive variables (attention, inhibition, working memory), and non-cognitive variables (mindfulness, psychological well-being, and anxiety) was investigated. The sample included 210 healthy participants from 20 to 89 years old. The overall results showed few or no age-related changes in both TUTs and SITUTs. Path analyses revealed that the effect of age on both TUTs and SITUTs was only indirect and mediated by attentional resources, as well as by some aspects of psychological well-being (i.e., emotional competence), which had a direct effect, however. These findings raise doubts about any age-related differences between young and older adults’ MW. Changes in MW across the adult life span are thus discussed along with the method and tasks used to assess it and different variables affecting it.

Suggested Citation

  • Erika Borella & Michela Zavagnin & Lucia Ronconi & Rossana Beni, 2022. "Cognitive and non-cognitive variables influencing age-related effect of mind wandering across the adult life span," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 277-292, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10433-021-00637-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-021-00637-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10433-021-00637-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10433-021-00637-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Erika Borella & Paolo Ghisletta & Anik de Ribaupierre, 2011. "Age Differences in Text Processing: The Role of Working Memory, Inhibition, and Processing Speed," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 66(3), pages 311-320.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Liying Luo & James Hodges, 2019. "The Age-Period-Cohort-Interaction Model for Describing and Investigating Inter-Cohort Deviations and Intra-Cohort Life-Course Dynamics," Papers 1906.08357, arXiv.org.
    2. Stéphanie Sylvain-Roy & Ovidiu Lungu & Sylvie Belleville, 2015. "Normal Aging of the Attentional Control Functions That Underlie Working Memory," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 70(5), pages 698-708.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:19:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10433-021-00637-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.