Showing papers by "Daniel M. Wegner published in 2007"
TL;DR: It was demonstrated that mind-wandering is associated with activity in a default network of cortical regions that are active when the brain is “at rest” and individuals' reports of the tendency of their minds to wander were correlated with activity on this network.
Abstract: Despite evidence pointing to a ubiquitous tendency of human minds to wander, little is known about the neural operations that support this core component of human cognition. Using both thought sampling and brain imaging, the current investigation demonstrated that mind-wandering is associated with activity in a default network of cortical regions that are active when the brain is "at rest." In addition, individuals' reports of the tendency of their minds to wander were correlated with activity in this network.
2,515 citations
TL;DR: Factor analysis revealed two dimensions of mind perception, Experience and Agency, which predicted different moral judgments but were both related to valuing of mind.
Abstract: Participants compared the mental capacities of various human and nonhuman characters via online surveys. Factor analysis revealed two dimensions of mind perception, Experience (for example, capacity for hunger) and Agency (for example, capacity for self-control). The dimensions predicted different moral judgments but were both related to valuing of mind.
1,218 citations
TL;DR: It is argued—and data is reported suggesting—that stimulus-independent thought dominates unconstrained cognitive periods, and activity in the default network may be due to the emergence of stimulus-oriented rather than stimulus- independent thought.
Abstract: Gilbert et al. suggest that activity in the default network may be due to the emergence of stimulus-oriented rather than stimulus-independent thought. Although both kinds of thought likely emerge during familiar tasks, we argue—and report data suggesting—that stimulus-independent thought dominates unconstrained cognitive periods.
439 citations
TL;DR: Results of this cross-sectional study of adolescents revealed that the self-reported propensity to suppress unwanted thoughts is associated with the presence and frequency of non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts, and thought suppression partially mediates the relationship between emotional reactivity and the frequency of NSSI.
192 citations
TL;DR: It is found that people use speed of movement to infer the presence of mind and mental attributes such as intention, consciousness, thought, and intelligence in other persons, animals, and objects.
Abstract: In this research, the authors found that people use speed of movement to infer the presence of mind and mental attributes such as intention, consciousness, thought, and intelligence in other persons, animals, and objects. Participants in 4 studies exhibited timescale bias--perceiving human and nonhuman targets (animals, robots, and animations) as more likely to possess mental states when those targets moved at speeds similar to the speed of natural human movement, compared with when targets performed actions at speeds faster or slower than the speed of natural human movement.
162 citations
01 Jan 2007
TL;DR: Dorsolateral PFC demonstrated sustained increases in activation during attempts at thought suppression, whereas bilateral ACC demonstrated transient increases associated with occurrences of unwanted thoughts, which support proposals regarding the different contributions made by the PFC and ACC to executive control.
Abstract: Cognitive theories of how people regulate their thoughts have suggested the involvement of two control processes that occur over different time courses. These cognitive accounts parallel recent neural models of executive control, which suggest that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) mediates sustained changes in the allocation of control processes, whereas the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relays a transient need for additional control. Combining these cognitive and neural models of control, we used recently developed analysis techniques to distinguish transient from sustained changes in brain activation while subjects attempted to suppress an unwanted thought. Results were consistent with both models: Dorsolateral PFC demonstrated sustained increases in activation during attempts at thought suppression, whereas bilateral ACC demonstrated transient increases associated with occurrences of unwanted thoughts. These data support proposals regarding the different contributions made by the PFC and ACC to executive control and provide initial neuroimaging support for dual-process models of how individuals regulate their thoughts.
121 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) mediates sustained changes in the allocation of control processes, whereas the anterior cingulate cortex relays a transient need for additional control.
Abstract: Cognitive theories of how people regulate their thoughts have suggested the involvement of two control processes that occur over different time courses. These cognitive accounts parallel recent neural models of executive control, which suggest that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) mediates sustained changes in the allocation of control processes, whereas the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relays a transient need for additional control. Combining these cognitive and neural models of control, we used recently developed analysis techniques to distinguish transient from sustained changes in brain activation while subjects attempted to suppress an unwanted thought. Results were consistent with both models: Dorsolateral PFC demonstrated sustained increases in activation during attempts at thought suppression, whereas bilateral ACC demonstrated transient increases associated with occurrences of unwanted thoughts. These data support proposals regarding the different contributions made by the PFC and ACC to executive ...
115 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that the feeling of authorship for mental actions such as solving problems is enhanced by effort cues experienced during mental activity; misattribution of effort cues resulted in inadvertent plagiarism.
Abstract: The authors found that the feeling of authorship for mental actions such as solving problems is enhanced by effort cues experienced during mental activity; misattribution of effort cues resulted in inadvertent plagiarism Pairs of participants took turns solving anagrams as they exerted effort on an unrelated task People inadvertently plagiarized their partners' answers more often when they experienced high incidental effort while working on the problem and reduced effort as the solution appeared This result was found for efforts produced when participants squeezed a handgrip during the task (Experiment 1) or when the anagram was displayed in a font that was difficult to read (Experiments 2, 3a, and 3b) Plagiarism declined, however, when participants attended to the source of the effort cues (Experiments 3a and 3b) These results suggest that effort misattribution can influence authorship processing for mental activities
34 citations
TL;DR: Pockett et al. as mentioned in this paper examined the link between consciousness and behavior from a variety of perspectives, including recent findings from psychology and neuroscience, philosophical suppositions, and legal, social, and moral implications.
Abstract: Does Consciousness Cause Behavior? . Susan Pockett, William P. Banks, and Shaun Gallagher, Eds. . MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2006. 372 pp. $50, £32.95. ISBN 9780262162371.
Approaching the link between consciousness and behavior from a variety of perspectives, the contributors consider recent findings from psychology and neuroscience, philosophical suppositions, and legal, social, and moral implications.
1 citations