Distinct neural markers for intentional and unintentional task unrelated thought

Abstract

Studies suggest that generating thought unrelated to the task in hand is accompanied by a reduction of attention to external task-relevant information. This observations led contemporary theory to suggest multiple component processes contribute to patterns of ongoing thought. The present study used EEG to seek support for these component-process accounts by examining the neural correlates of deliberate and spontaneous task unrelated thought. EEG activity was compared prior to reports of ongoing thought during a test of sustained attention. Event-related potentials, such as the P3, were attenuated during off-task states, regardless of whether they were intentional or not. In contrast, increased alpha power and cortical phase-locking were linked to deliberate off-task thoughts, while reductions of evoked sensory response were prevalent in spontaneous off-task episodes. These data suggest off-task thought shares common and distinct neural features that are differentiated through their relationship to intention, supporting component process accounts of ongoing thought.