Mind-wandering is characterized by extraneous or task-unrelated thoughts that indicate a shift in attention away from the present. The mind-wandering phenomenon has significant implications within the wider educational community, particularly with areas like learning, productivity, and motivation. As such, researchers have been pursuing various approaches to better understand its underlying function and develop intervention strategies to prevent it altogether. In this proposed study, I explore and compare the relative effectiveness of three different mitigation strategies on mind-wandering during the sustained attention to response task (SART), including: mindfulness training, feedback/goal-setting, and incentives/goal-setting. Mind-wandering levels would be determined by calculating the number of errors made throughout the task, as well as using participants’ fNIRS data to examine activation within the default mode network (DMN). By potentially incorporating these simple but effective strategies, both learning technology developers and classroom educators alike can design a more engaging, individualized experience for their students.
December 28, 2025