Abstract Using the method of experience sampling, we studied the fluctuations in thought generation and cognitive control strength during the wakeful hours of the day, centered around episodes of mind wandering. Thought generation, measured in terms of the number of thoughts that concurrently occupy the mind at sampling time, goes through regular 4–6 h cycles, suggesting the mind operates with an alternation of focused and multitasking modes. Cognitive control strength rises and falls in relative coordination with thought generation, implying that both are occasionally misaligned. This happens, in particular, when cognitive control suddenly drops after having been keeping up with a cycle of thought generation. When this drop occurs while the thought generation cycle is still up, mind wandering appears. As cognitive control quickly resumes before returning to intermediate values, the thought generation cycle begins to fall again, and the mind wandering episode comes to an end. Implications regarding the role of long-term regulation in mind-wandering processes are discussed.

中文翻译：

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心灵徘徊的长期动力：思想产生中的超节奏

摘要我们采用经验抽样的方法，研究了在一天清醒的时间中思想产生和认知控制力的波动，这些波动围绕着心理游荡的情节。根据在采样时同时占据头脑的思想数量来衡量的思想产生，会经过规律的4-6小时周期，这表明思想的运作方式与专注和多任务模式交替。认知控制能力随着思想的产生而在相对的协调中上升和下降，这意味着两者有时会错位。尤其是在跟上了思想生成周期之后，认知控制突然下降时，就会发生这种情况。在思想产生周期仍在继续的情况下发生这种下降时，就会出现思维游荡。随着认知控制在恢复到中间值之前迅速恢复，思维生成周期再次开始下降，思维游荡结束。讨论了关于长期监管在思想游荡过程中的作用的含义。