Study of the dynamics of spontaneous thoughts and the characteristics of transitions

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamics and transitions of self-generated spontaneous thoughts, which are characterized by their independence from ongoing perception and action. They include phenomena such as mind-wandering, involuntary autobiographical memories, involuntary future thoughts, creative thinking, daydreaming, and rumination. Using the Think Aloud Method, this research explores how changes in thought content affect transitions between mental experiences. The work involved 44 first-year students at the University of Liège, aged 17-21, mostly female (90.9%). Participants verbalized their spontaneous thoughts for 5 minutes and completed questionnaires on rumination, daydreaming frequency, anxiety, depression, mindfulness, affectivity, ADHD symptoms, and personality traits. Participants' thoughts were transcribed, segmented into coarse and fine-grained units, and evaluated using specially designed questionnaires. Dynamic analysis using paired samples t-tests revealed significant differences between coarse-grained and fine-grained transitions. Fine transitions were more strongly linked, topically related, temporally closer, tended towards cause-consequence sequences and had fewer changes in event, person, location, and activity/task, affective valence and mental experience. This supports the "clump-and-jump" pattern, highlighting even more frequent and rapid thought transitions and suggesting a hierarchical organization of thoughts. Higher ADHD tendencies and frequent daydreaming were linked to more transitions, while greater mindfulness was associated with fewer. Personality traits such as extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism also influenced thought transitions. These findings offer insights for developing targeted interventions and propose several research directions to further explore cognitive dynamics and their mental health implications, particularly in non-clinical populations. However, the study's small sample size limits its generalizability, underscoring the need for further research to understand what drives thought transitions.