Unconstrained Thought as an Individual-Differences Variable

This quasiexperimental study explores unconstrained thought as an individual-differences variable, examining its distinction from task-unrelated thought, its associations with performance on two sustained-attention tasks, psychopathology symptoms, effortful concentration, and topic switching, as well as its stability (i.e., test-retest reliability) across tasks. Data from 445 participants revealed that unconstrained thought, while overlapping with task-unrelated thought, offers some unique insights, particularly its relation with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. However, relations between unconstrained thought and many of our measures fail to provide predictive power beyond task-unrelated thought. Contrary to prior hypotheses, more reports of depressive symptoms, rumination, state anxiety, and trait anxiety were associated with more reports of unconstrained thought. Unconstrained thought demonstrated test-retest reliability across two sustained-attention tasks. This study suggests the potential of unconstrained thought as an individual-difference variable, especially in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but also highlights its functional overlap with task-unrelated thought.