Mind wandering during implicit learning is associated with increased periodic EEG activity and improved extraction of hidden probabilistic patterns

Abstract

Mind wandering, occupying 30-50% of our waking time, remains an enigmatic phenomenon in cognitive neuroscience. A large number of studies showed a negative association between mind wandering and attention-demanding (model-based) tasks in both natural settings and laboratory conditions. Mind wandering, however, does not seem to be detrimental for all cognitive domains, and was observed to benefit creativity and problem-solving. We examined if mind wandering may facilitate model-free processes, such as probabilistic learning, which relies on the automatic acquisition of statistical regularities with minimal attentional demands. We administered a well-established implicit probabilistic learning task combined with thought probes in healthy adults (N = 37, 30 females). To explore the neural correlates of mind wandering and probabilistic learning, participants were fitted with high-density electroencephalography. Our findings indicate that probabilistic learning was not only immune to periods of mind wandering but was positively associated with it. Spontaneous, as opposed to deliberate mind wandering, was particularly beneficial for extracting the probabilistic patterns hidden in the visual stream. Cortical oscillatory activity in the low-frequency (slow and delta) range, indicative of covert sleep-like states, was associated with both mind wandering and improved probabilistic learning, particularly in the early stages of the task. Given the importance of probabilistic implicit learning in predictive processing, our findings provide novel insights into the potential cognitive benefits of task-unrelated thoughts in addition to shedding light on its neural mechanisms.

Statement of significance Mind wandering poses an unresolved puzzle for cognitive neuroscience: it is associated with poor performance in various cognitive domains, yet humans spend 30-50% of their waking time mind wandering. We proposed that mind wandering may be beneficial for less attention-demanding cognitive processes requiring automatic, habitual learning. We assessed an implicit probabilistic learning task measuring the ability to extract (without awareness) hidden regularities from the information stream. Participants showed superior performance in probabilistic learning during periods of mind wandering, especially when such task-unrelated thoughts occurred spontaneously without intention. Moreover, mind wandering and probabilistic learning were both associated with slow frequency neural activity, suggesting that mind wandering may reflect a transient, offline state facilitating rapid learning and memory consolidation.