Gross, M., Raynes, S., Schooler, J. W., Guo, E., & Dobkins, K. (2025). When is a wandering mind unhappy? The role of thought valence. Emotion, 25(3), 671–682. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001434
Key Takeaways
- The study explores how thought valence affects mood during mind wandering compared to present-focused attention.
- This research aims to determine whether the negative mood associated with mind wandering is significantly accounted for by thought valence and to investigate how other thought qualities affect this relationship.
- Thought valence significantly mediates the relationship between attention state and mood, with mind wandering associated with more negative thoughts and thus poorer mood.
- These findings imply interventions targeting thought valence, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, might effectively improve mood by addressing negative thoughts during mind wandering.
Rationale
Previous research indicates mind wandering negatively affects mood (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010; Ruby et al., 2013).
However, earlier studies did not fully examine if this was due to thought valence, defined as the positivity or negativity of one’s thoughts.
Killingsworth and Gilbert (2010) found negative mind-wandering thoughts correlated with poorer mood but didn’t compare valence during present moments.
Understanding the role of thought valence is critical, as evidence suggests negative mood may precede mind wandering (Poerio et al., 2013).
Clarifying this relationship helps inform interventions aimed at improving mood through cognitive strategies rather than solely focusing on reducing mind wandering.
The next step involves experimental research to establish causality clearly and explore interventions targeting thought valence (Marchetti et al., 2012).
Method
An experience sampling methodology (ESM) was utilized, prompting participants via smartphones six times daily for seven consecutive days to report their attention state, thought valence, and mood.
Procedure:
- Participants completed demographic, mindfulness, and personality questionnaires online.
- They received daily smartphone prompts asking:
- Their current attention state (present-focused or mind wandering).
- Mood assessment on a 7-point scale.
- Thought nature (inner speech or other experiences).
- Thought clarity, valence, reactivity, and interestingness.
- Type of current activity (social, physical, restful, etc.).
Sample:
- 337 undergraduate students (74.78% female, age 18-44, mean age 20.82).
- Ethnicity predominantly Asian (48.40%), followed by Hispanic/Latino (19.00%), White/Caucasian (18.70%).
Measures:
- Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire: Assesses mindfulness facets such as observing, describing, and non-judging.
- NEO Five-Factor Inventory: Measures personality traits across openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
Statistical measures:
- Multilevel modeling (MLM) used to analyze nested data (responses within individuals).
- Mediation analyses to assess the indirect effect of thought valence on mood.
Results
- Hypothesis 1: Mood is negatively affected by mind wandering (Supported).
- Hypothesis 2: Thought valence significantly mediates the relationship between attention state and mood (Supported).
- Additional findings: Clarity and interestingness of thought significantly predict mood.
Insight
This study demonstrates the critical role of thought valence, showing that negative mind-wandering thoughts significantly worsen mood.
It explicitly extends previous research by identifying thought valence as a key mediator.
Recognizing thought valence’s central role underscores the need for targeted cognitive-behavioral strategies or mindfulness techniques aimed specifically at shifting thought content toward more positive or neutral themes.
These results also highlight the importance of examining multiple dimensions of thought, such as clarity and interestingness, which contribute to mood variations.
Future research should experimentally validate these findings by comparing different cognitive interventions designed to alter thought valence and evaluating their effectiveness in improving mood.
Clinical Implications
Practitioners and policymakers might more effectively enhance mood by focusing on cognitive-behavioral strategies that address negative thought patterns during mind wandering rather than exclusively emphasizing reducing mind wandering frequency.
Implementing targeted interventions could significantly enhance mental health services by providing practical tools for individuals prone to negative thought cycles.
However, potential challenges include reliably changing thought valence in real-world settings and ensuring interventions are appropriately tailored to diverse individuals and contexts.
Strengths
- Large sample size and robust experience sampling methodology.
- Comprehensive exploration of thought characteristics (valence, clarity, interestingness).
- Inclusion of covariates and demographic moderators.
Limitations
- Young, predominantly Asian, student sample limits generalizability.
- Self-report measures may introduce biases.
- Causal relationships require further experimental validation.
Socratic Questions
- How might these findings differ in older populations or different cultural contexts?
- What alternative explanations might exist for the relationship between mind wandering and negative mood?
- Could the impact of thought valence be modified by personality traits such as neuroticism?
- What are the practical challenges of implementing cognitive-behavioral interventions targeting thought valence in daily life?
- How might mindfulness interventions compare with cognitive-behavioral approaches in managing negative thoughts during mind wandering?
References
Gross, M., Raynes, S., Schooler, J. W., Guo, E., & Dobkins, K. (2025). When is a wandering mind unhappy? The role of thought valence. Emotion, 25(3), 671–682. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001434
- Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330(6006), 932.
- Ruby, F. J., Smallwood, J., Engen, H., & Singer, T. (2013). How self-generated thought shapes mood—The relation between mind-wandering and mood depends on the socio-temporal content of thoughts. PLOS ONE, 8(10), e77554.
- Poerio, G. L., Totterdell, P., & Miles, E. (2013). Mind-wandering and negative mood: Does one thing really lead to another? Consciousness and Cognition, 22(4), 1412–1421.
- Marchetti, I., Koster, E. H., & De Raedt, R. (2012). Mindwandering heightens the accessibility of negative relative to positive thought. Consciousness and Cognition, 21(3), 1517–1525.
