Getting stuck daydreaming: The role of cognitive flexibility in anxiety while mind-wandering

Abstract

Mind-wandering is a pervasive phenomenon that has gained interest in the past few decades. It has been proposed that this process of mind-wandering, by which individuals shift their attentional resources from external demands inward, toward their inner thoughts, inherently requires cognitive flexibility. Based on extant theories, it appears that under heightened anxiety, cognitive flexibility may be impaired, such that one’s ability to shift and update their mental resources depending on environmental demands may not update and shift efficiently. However, empirical research on this anxiety-linked cognitive flexibility impairment has been mixed thus far. This thesis uses a multifaceted approach to explore the link between cognitive flexibility and anxiety as a possible mechanism that could explain the distinct mind-wandering characteristics in both trait and state anxiety.

This thesis comprises three empirical studies to investigate anxiety-linked differences in cognitive flexibility and mind-wandering. In Chapter 2, I employed a data-driven approach to conduct a network analysis on self-report measures of mind-wandering characteristics, cognitive flexibility, worry and trait anxiety. In Chapter 3, I extended these findings by exploring how cognitive demands influence mind-wandering during task-based measures. In Chapter 4, I investigated whether differences in flexible responding and thought dynamics are affected by state anxiety rather than trait anxiety.

Unbalanced levels of cognitive flexibility and mind-wandering can lead to negative psychological consequences. This thesis provides a comprehensive and systematic understanding of anxiety-linked mind-wandering and cognitive flexibility which will enhance the practical relevance and applicability of the research findings to real-world therapeutic practices.