Abstract
Our minds tend to frequently drift away from present technology-related situations and tasks. Against this background, we seek to provide a better understanding of mind-wandering episodes while using information technology and its link to decisive variables of Information Systems research, such as performance, creativity and flow. Since the academic literature still lacks reliable and validated measurements that can fully account for all facets of mind-wandering episodes while using information technology, our work addresses this gap by presenting a way to triangulate data in the context of a digital insight problem-solving task. This new approach enables researchers to further investigate the effects of spontaneous thought in technology-related settings and is a promising building block for the development of neuroadaptive systems.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Riedl, R., Léger, P.-M.: Fundamentals of NeuroIS. Information Systems and the Brain. Springer, Heidelberg (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45091-8
Riedl, R.: On the biology of technostress. ACM SIGMIS Database 44, 18–55 (2013)
Fischer, T., Riedl, R.: Technostress research: a nurturing ground for measurement pluralism? Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst. 40, 375–401 (2017)
Tams, S., Hill, K., de Guinea, A.O., Thatcher, J.B., Grover, V.: NeuroIS-alternative or complement to existing methods? Illustrating the holistic effects of neuroscience and self-reported data in the context of technostress research. J. Assoc. Inf. Syst. 15, 723–753 (2014)
Fischer, T., Reuter, M., Riedl, R.: The digital stressors scale. Development and validation of a new survey instrument to measure digital stress perceptions in the workplace context. Front. Psychol. 12(607598), 1–18 (2021)
Andrews-Hanna, J.R., Irving, Z.C., Fox, K.C.R., Spreng, R.N., Christoff, K.: The neuroscience of spontaneous thought. An evolving, interdisciplinary field. In: Fox, K.C.R., Christoff, K. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Spontaneous Thought. Mind-Wandering, Creativity, and Dreaming, pp. 143–163. Oxford University Press, New York (2018)
Smallwood, J., Schooler, J.W.: The restless mind. Psychol. Bull. 132, 946–958 (2006)
Giambra, L.M.: Task-unrelated thought frequency as a function of age. A laboratory study. Psychol. Aging 4, 136–143 (1989)
Addas, S., Pinsonneault, A.: E-mail interruptions and individual performance. Is there a silver lining? MIS Q. 42, 381–405 (2018)
Agarwal, R., Karahanna, E.: Time flies when you’re having fun. Cognitive absorption and beliefs about information technology usage. MIS Q. 24, 665–694 (2000)
Devaraj, S., Kohli, R.: Performance impacts of information technology. Is actual usage the missing link? Manage. Sci. 49, 273–289 (2003)
Amabile, T.M., Barsade, S.G., Mueller, J.S., Staw, B.M.: Affect and creativity at work. Adm. Sci. Q. 50, 367–403 (2005)
Baird, B., Smallwood, J., Mrazek, M.D., Kam, J.W.Y., Franklin, M.S., Schooler, J.W.: Inspired by distraction. Mind wandering facilitates creative incubation. Psychol. Sci. 23, 1117–1122 (2012)
Christoff, K., Irving, Z.C., Fox, K.C.R., Spreng, R.N., Andrews-Hanna, J.R.: Mind-wandering as spontaneous thought. A dynamic framework. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 17, 718–731 (2016)
Smallwood, J., Schooler, J.W.: The science of mind wandering. Empirically navigating the stream of consciousness. Ann. Rev. Psychol. 66, 487–518 (2015)
Seli, P., et al.: Mind-wandering as a natural kind. A family-resemblances view. Trends Cogn. Sci. 22, 479–490 (2018)
Agnoli, S., Vanucci, M., Pelagatti, C., Corazza, G.E.: Exploring the link between mind wandering, mindfulness, and creativity. A multidimensional approach. Creat. Res. J. 30, 41–53 (2018)
Seli, P., Risko, E.F., Smilek, D., Schacter, D.L.: Mind-wandering with and without intention. Trends Cogn. Sci. 20, 605–617 (2016)
Seli, P., Risko, E.F., Smilek, D.: On the necessity of distinguishing between unintentional and intentional mind wandering. Psychol. Sci. 27, 685–691 (2016)
Wati, Y., Koh, C., Davis, F.: Can you increase your performance in a technology-driven society full of distractions? In: Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Information Systems, Auckland, New Zealand, pp. 1–11 (2014)
Sullivan, Y.W., Davis, F., Koh, C.: Exploring mind wandering in a technological setting. In: Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Information Systems, Fort Worth, United States of America, pp. 1–22 (2015)
Sullivan, Y.W., Davis, F.D.: Self-regulation, mind wandering, and cognitive absorption during technology use. In: Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Honolulu, Hi, USA, pp. 4483–4492 (2020)
Baldwin, C.L., Roberts, D.M., Barragan, D., Lee, J.D., Lerner, N., Higgins, J.S.: Detecting and quantifying mind wandering during simulated driving. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 11, 1–15 (2017)
Drescher, L.H., van den Bussche, E., Desender, K.: Absence without leave or leave without absence. Examining the interrelations among mind wandering, metacognition and cognitive control. PLoS ONE 13, 1–18 (2018)
Mooneyham, B.W., Schooler, J.W.: The costs and benefits of mind-wandering. A review. Can. J. Exp. Psychol. 67, 11–18 (2013)
Smallwood, J., Fishman, D.J., Schooler, J.W.: Counting the cost of an absent mind. Mind wandering as an underrecognized influence on educational performance. Psychonom. Bull. Rev. 14, 230–236 (2007)
Zhang, Y., Kumada, T., Xu, J.: Relationship between workload and mind-wandering in simulated driving. PLoS ONE 12, 1–12 (2017)
Smeekens, B.A., Kane, M.J.: Working memory capacity, mind wandering, and creative cognition. An individual-differences investigation into the benefits of controlled versus spontaneous thought. Psychol. Aesthet. Creat. Arts 10, 389–415 (2016)
Fox, K.C.R., Beaty, R.E.: Mind-wandering as creative thinking. Neural, psychological, and theoretical considerations. Curr. Opin. Behav. Sci. 27, 123–130 (2019)
Oschinsky, F.M., Klesel, M., Ressel, N., Niehaves, B.: Where are your thoughts? On the relationship between technology use and mind wandering. In: Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, Honolulu, Hi, USA, pp. 6709–6718 (2019)
Klesel, M., Oschinsky, F.M., Conrad, C., Niehaves, B.: Does the type of mind-wandering matter? Extending the inquiry about the role of mind-wandering in the IT use experience. Internet Res. (2021)
Baumgart, T.L., Klesel, M., Oschinsky, F.M., Niehaves, B.: Creativity loading – please wait! Investigating the relationship between interruption, mind wandering and creativity. In: Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Honolulu, Hi, USA (2020)
Klesel, M., Oschinsky, F.M., Niehaves, B., Riedl, R., Müller-Putz, G.R.: Investigating the role of mind wandering in computer-supported collaborative work: a proposal for an EEG study. In: Davis, F.D., Riedl, R., vom Brocke, J., Léger, P.-M., Randolph, A., Fischer, T. (eds.) Information Systems and Neuroscience. LNISO, vol. 32, pp. 53–62. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28144-1_6
Klesel, M., Schlechtinger, M., Oschinsky, F.M., Conrad, C., Niehaves, B.: Detecting mind wandering episodes in virtual realities using eye tracking. In: Davis, F.D., Riedl, R., vom Brocke, J., Léger, P.-M., Randolph, A.B., Fischer, T. (eds.) NeuroIS 2020. LNISO, vol. 43, pp. 163–171. Springer, Cham (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60073-0_18
Dijksterhuis, A., Meurs, T.: Where creativity resides. The generative power of unconscious thought. Conscious. Cogn. 15, 135–146 (2006)
Christoff, K., Gordon, A.M., Smallwood, J., Smith, R., Schooler, J.W.: Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 8719–8724 (2009)
Dimoka, A., Pavlou, P.A., Davis, F.D.: NeuroIS. The potential of cognitive neuroscience for information systems research. Inf. Syst. Res. 22, 687–702 (2011)
Martinon, L.M., Smallwood, J., McGann, D., Hamilton, C., Riby, L.M.: The disentanglement of the neural and experiential complexity of self-generated thoughts. A users guide to combining experience sampling with neuroimaging data. NeuroImage 1–55 (2019)
Ceh, S.M., et al.: Neurophysiological indicators of internal attention: an electroencephalography-eye-tracking coregistration study. Brain Behav. e01790 (2020)
Arnau, S., Löffler, C., Rummel, J., Hagemann, D., Wascher, E., Schubert, A.-L.: The electrophysiological signature of mind wandering. bioRxiv, 819805 (2019)
Müller-Putz, G.R., Riedl, R., Wriessnegger, S.C.: Electroencephalography (EEG) as a research tool in the information systems discipline. Found. Meas. Appl. CAIS 37, 911–948 (2015)
Riedl, R., Davis, F.D., Hevner, A.R.: Towards a NeuroIS research methodology. Intensifying the discussion on methods, tools, and measurement. JAIS 15, 1–35 (2014)
Riedl, R., Fischer, T., Léger, P.M.: A decade of NeuroIS research. Status quo, challenges, and future directions. DATA BASE Adv. Inf. Syst. 51, 13–54 (2020)
Loos, P., et al.: NeuroIS. Neuroscientific approaches in the investigation and development of information systems. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 2, 395–401 (2010)
Astor, P.J., Adam, M.T.P., Jerčić, P., Schaaff, K., Weinhardt, C.: Integrating biosignals into information systems. A NeuroIS tool for improving emotion regulation. J. Manage. Inf. Syst. 30, 247–278 (2013)
Vom Brocke, J., Riedl, R., Léger, P.-M.: Application strategies for neuroscience in information systems design science research. J. Comput. Inf. Syst. 53, 1–13 (2013)
Adam, M.T.P., Gimpel, H., Maedche, A., Riedl, R.: Design blueprint for stress-sensitive adaptive enterprise systems. Bus. Inf. Syst. Eng. 59, 277–291 (2017)
Vom Brocke, J., Hevner, A., Léger, P.M., Walla, P., Riedl, R.: Advancing a NeuroIS research agenda with four areas of societal contributions. Eur. J. Inf. Syst. 29, 9–24 (2020)
Guilford, J.P.: Creativity: yesterday, today and tomorrow. J. Creat. Behav. 1, 3–14 (1967)
Mrazek, M.D., Phillips, D.T., Franklin, M.S., Broadway, J.M., Schooler, J.W.: Young and restless. Validation of the mind-wandering questionnaire (MWQ) reveals disruptive impact of mind-wandering for youth. Front. Psychol. 4, 1–7 (2013)
Carriere, J.S.A., Seli, P., Smilek, D.: Wandering in both mind and body. Individual differences in mind wandering and inattention predict fidgeting. Can. J. Exp. Psychol./Rev. Can. Psychol. Exp. 67, 19–31 (2013)
Mowlem, F.D., et al.: Validation of the mind excessively wandering scale and the relationship of mind wandering to impairment in adult ADHD. J. Atten. Disord. 23, 624–634 (2016)
Dimoka, A., et al.: On the use of neurophysiological tools in IS research. Developing a research agenda for NeuroIS. MIS Q. 36, 679–702 (2012)
Weber, B., Fischer, T., Riedl, R.: Brain and autonomic nervous system activity measurement in software engineering. A systematic literature review. J. Syst. Softw. (2021). (in press)
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Volkswagen Foundation (grant: 96982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Oschinsky, F.M., Niehaves, B., Riedl, R., Klesel, M., Wriessnegger, S.C., Mueller-Putz, G.R. (2021). On How Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation While Using Information Technology: A Research Agenda for Robust Triangulation. In: Davis, F.D., Riedl, R., vom Brocke, J., Léger, PM., Randolph, A.B., Müller-Putz, G. (eds) Information Systems and Neuroscience. NeuroIS 2021. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation, vol 52. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88900-5_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88900-5_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-88899-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-88900-5
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)