Curiosity makes your mind wander: Effects of epistemic curiosity and trait anxiety on mind wandering

Abstract

This study focused on epistemic curiosity and trait anxiety as personality traits promoting the occurrence of mind wandering (MW), and examined how these traits might predict the tendency toward MW based on an individual difference approach. MW tendency was measured using a self-report questionnaire in Study 1, and thought probes during a behavioral task in Study 2, while intentional and unintentional MW were reported separately. Epistemic curiosity was measured using questionnaires that assessed diversive and specific curiosity. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Effortful Control Scale were used to measure trait anxiety and executive control, respectively. Structural equation modeling showed that diversive curiosity positively predicted both intentional and unintentional MW tendency, whereas specific curiosity did not predict either MW type. In contrast, trait anxiety was not directly related to MW tendency, but was indirectly related via executive control. Executive control negatively affected only unintentional but not intentional MW. These findings indicate that MW is based on epistemic curiosity, a socially desirable personality trait. MW can be explained as occurring when the motivation for task-unrelated thoughts is heightened, partly due to a high level of diversive curiosity, while these thoughts are either executed intentionally or not suppressed by executive control processes.