Recurrent involuntary memories and mind wandering are related but distinct

Both recurrent IAMs and MW are often unintentional or unconstrained, and both predict symptoms of mental health disorders. However, not all MW is unintentional, and not all IAMs are unconstrained. To what extent do recurrent IAMs and MW converge versus diverge? Results suggest that recurrent IAMs are related to MW in that recurrent IAMs are spontaneous. Conversely, recurrent IAMs are distinct from MW in that recurrent IAMs’ associations with disorder symptoms could not be solely explained by trait MW (and vice versa).

Recommended citation: Yeung, R. C., & Fernandes, M. A. (2024). Recurrent involuntary memories and mind wandering are related but distinct. Psychological Research. https://osf.io/8aqmv/?view_only=059412adf1e04c7ba26219450ba85002