When the Mind “Flies”: the Effects of Mind-Wandering on Driving

Abstract

Mind wandering (MW) refers to a shift of attention away from a primary task toward internal information, such as memories, future thoughts, or fantasies. Several lines of research showed that MW has a costly influence on many cognitive processes, such as reading comprehension, sustained attention and working memory. The aim of the present study was to assess whether MW impairs, like secondary-task distraction, driver’s performance. Results showed that MW is indeed pervasive during daily driving, as indicated by the participants’ answers to an ad-hoc questionnaire assessing the source of inattentiveness during daily driving; furthermore, MW states detected during simulated driving were found to affect driving performance.