The current thesis intersects cognition and education to study the mental experience of mind wandering and its consequences. This research examines attention and memory using materials, methodologies, and research questions drawn from authentic classroom environments. The overarching question driving this thesis centres on when and why students mind wander during lectures, and how we can reduce its negative impact on learning. The hypothesis underpinning all the presented research proposes that stronger motivation reduces mind wandering, thus improving learning outcomes. The current thesis examines how three different motivational manipulations affect reports of intentional mind wandering—when participants deliberately choose to redirect their attention away from the lecture—and unintentional mind wandering—when participants find their attention to be off-task despite their best efforts to stay focused. Quizzing, monetary rewards, and time-based rewards affected mind wandering reports, particularly reports of intentional mind wandering. Although, throughout this thesis, there was no direct impact on learning, there was consistent evidence of a negative correlation between mind wandering reports and learning. Based on these findings, this thesis discusses implications for the enterprise of mind wandering research, principles of motivation to leverage in education, and pedagogies to improve the classroom learning experience. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Our minds wander multiple times a day—during work, school, leisure time, meals, and countless other activities. When mind wandering occurs during lectures, it negatively impacts our ability to learn information. If we are motivated, we are likely to learn more, and some researchers have suggested that this happens because we are better able to pay attention while learning. The research presented in this thesis used three reward types in an attempt to reduce two types of mind wandering (intentional vs. spontaneous) and, therefore, produce better learning. This thesis demonstrated that outside rewards can increase motivation, and that these changes in motivation appear to affect intentional mind wandering more than spontaneous mind wandering. Reducing mind wandering by properly motivating our students should promote better learning; as educators, effective lectures must play that role for students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/25240 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Pachai, Amy A. |
| Contributors | Kim, Joseph A., Shore, David I., Psychology |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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