According to the cognitive flexibility view, individuals with higher cognitive control ability are more flexible in experiencing on task or mind wandering during tasks with different loads. On the other hand, the resource-control theory posits that executive control is essential for allocating attentional resources between mind wandering and tasks. Focus back effort may reflect the adjustment of executive control in the resource-control theory. Here, 121 participants completed two span tasks, as well as high- and low-load tasks, while mind wandering and focus back effort were measured. Our findings indicated that mind wandering was influenced by working memory capacity (WMC) and focus back effort. Additionally, participants demonstrated a higher focus back effort during the higher load task. This effect was particularly pronounced in individuals with lower WMC, which was treated as a continuous variable. These findings integrate the cognitive flexibility view and resource-control theory to describe how individuals modulate mind wandering.

根据认知灵活性观点，认知控制能力较高的个体在执行任务时更灵活，或者在不同负荷的任务中走神。另一方面，资源控制理论认为，执行控制对于在走神和任务之间分配注意力资源至关重要。聚焦努力可能反映了资源控制理论中执行控制的调整。在这里，121 名参与者完成了两项跨度任务以及高负荷和低负荷任务，同时测量了走神和集中注意力的努力。我们的研究结果表明，走神受到工作记忆容量（WMC）和注意力集中程度的影响。此外，参与者在高负荷任务中表现出更高的集中注意力。这种效应在 WMC 较低的个体中尤其明显，WMC 被视为连续变量。这些发现整合了认知灵活性观点和资源控制理论来描述个体如何调节思维游移。