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Article Review PSYC 335 This study source was downloaded by from CourseHero.com on :17:16 GMT -06:00 Th is stu dy re so ur ce w as sh ar ed v ia C ou rs eH er o. co m Article Review For this assignment, I read an article from the journal, Psychology of Consciousness titled Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and the Distinction Between Intentional and Unintentional Mind Wandering. A study was conducted to see if there was a correlation of people whose mind wanders and lower psychological well-being. Research revealed that people whose mind tends to wander more frequently also experience increased negative affect and lower psychological well-being (Deng & Tang, 2014). This study broke down mind wandering into two categories, people who intentionally let their mind wander and people who unintentionally have their mind wander.

Participants for this study came from two separate nonclinical samples of undergraduate psychology students. Data was collected from as many undergraduate students who were willing to complete an online questionnaire. The first sample consisted of 2,581 participants (Mage = 20.20, SD = 3.82, range = 15–58; 1,821 females, 754 males) and the second sample consisted of 2,107 participants ( M age = 20.54, SD = 3.21, range = 19.5–47 ) (Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013). Unintentional mind wandering is positively associated with attention failures like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), whereas intentional mind wandering does not share any relation with attention failures (Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013).

In this instance, those people whose mind wanders intentionally is the independent variable and those whose mind wanders unintentionally is the dependent variable. The article states that those people whose mind wanders unintentionally are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress (Seli, Beaty, Marty-Dugas, & Smilek, 2019). Studies of the neurophysiological basis of mood disorders and attention failures further supports the hypothesis that depression, anxiety, and stress to be linked to unintentional bouts of mind wandering. People who have chronic exposure to life’s stressors develop high levels of 1 This study source was downloaded by from CourseHero.com on :17:16 GMT -06:00 Th is stu dy re so ur ce w as sh ar ed v ia C ou rs eH er o. co m Article Review circulation cortisol, which can enter the brain at such high levels, that it can cause damage to several brain areas that include the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus (Popoli, Yan, McEwen, & Sanacora, 2011).

Damage can be further exacerbated by increases in stress inducing incidents, which can cause for an increase inflammation, which has been associated with mood disorders and impaired attentional control (Liston, McEwen, & Casey, 2009). In order to test the possibility that symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress are associated with unintentional (but not intentional) mind wandering, two large independent samples were studied, they are Mind Wandering-Spontaneous (MW-S) and Mind Wandering-Deliberate (MW-D) (Seli, Beaty, Marty- Dugas, & Smilek, 2019). In the end, the study showed that people reporting higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress tended to also report higher levels of both intentional and unintentional mind wandering.

The study began by examining the descriptive statistics for MW-D, MW-S, and the three facets of the DASS-21 (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress) in each of the two samples. Table 1 shows the mean scores of MW-D, MW-S, and the three facets of the DASS-21. After examining the psychometric properties it was found that both skewness and kurtosis values were within acceptable ranges (Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013). 2 This study source was downloaded by from CourseHero.com on :17:16 GMT -06:00 Th is stu dy re so ur ce w as sh ar ed v ia C ou rs eH er o. co m Article Review Next, the Pearson product–moment correlation coefficients for all measures were examined where the disattenuated correlations were also computed.

These correlations are useful because they “rid a correlation coefficient from the weakening effect of measurement error†(Jensen, 1998). As a result, the MW-D and MW-S were moderately positively correlated in both samples. There was a significant positive relation between both the MW-D and MW-S with all three facets of the DASS-21. This indicates that people reporting higher symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress tended to also report higher levels of both intentional and unintentional mind wandering (Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013). I found this study to be fascinating because I have had issues with my mind wandering at times that I do not want it to, though I do not necessarily suffer from depression, anxiety, or stress.

My significant other does suffer from depressions, anxiety, and stress and she has ADHD as well as OCD. Her mind wanders constantly, and when it does, she is usually thinking about the worst possible outcome to events that have and have not happened. She tells me constantly 3 This study source was downloaded by from CourseHero.com on :17:16 GMT -06:00 Th is stu dy re so ur ce w as sh ar ed v ia C ou rs eH er o. co m Article Review that she cannot control her mind when she wants to and that paying attention to something for an extended period is very difficult to do. I would like this study to be repeated again, but instead of just having two categories of people, I would like to see it broken down a bit further.

I would like for them to notate the gender, age, and race of the people they studied to see if there was any correlation between mind wandering and gender, age, and race. Some people develop these traits later on in life and it would be fascinating if this study would be done on the same people over an extended period to see if any of the results would change. This study does has implications for the practice of counseling psychology. If a child exhibits habits of mind wandering at a young age, perhaps they could begin to see a counselor to help give them tools sooner that can help them combat depression, anxiety, and stress. I believe that knowledge is power, and I know firsthand how hard it can be for people who suffer from depression and anxiety.

People can struggle for years because they do not have the right tools to help themselves. If something could be diagnosed earlier, those people who suffer could also learn skills earlier on in life that will help them battle the demons that come with their diagnosis. 4 This study source was downloaded by from CourseHero.com on :17:16 GMT -06:00 Th is stu dy re so ur ce w as sh ar ed v ia C ou rs eH er o. co m Article Review References Carriere, J. S., Seli, P., & Smilek, D. (2013). Wandering in both mind and body: Individual differences in mind-wandering and inattention predict fidgeting.

Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale, 67, 19–31. Deng, Y. Q., Li, S., & Tang, Y. Y. (2014). The relationship between wandering mind, depression and mindfulness.

Mindfulness, 5, 124–128. 10.1007/s Jensen, A. R. (1998). The g factor: The science of mental ability. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Liston, C., McEwen, B. S., & Casey, B. J. (2009). Psychosocial stress reversibly disrupts prefrontal processing and attentional control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106, 912–917.

10.1073/pnas. Popoli, M., Yan, Z., McEwen, B. S., & Sanacora, G. (2011). The stressed synapse: The impact of stress and glucocorticoids on glutamate transmission. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13, 22–37.

10.1038/nrn3138 Seli, P., Beaty, R. E., Marty-Dugas, J., & Smilek, D. (2019). Depression, anxiety, and stress and the distinction between intentional and unintentional mind wandering. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 6, 2nd ser., . doi:10.1037/cns This study source was downloaded by from CourseHero.com on :17:16 GMT -06:00 Th is stu dy re so ur ce w as sh ar ed v ia C ou rs eH er o. co m Powered by TCPDF ( Before beginning this assignment review the guidance on " Writing an Article Review " Purpose : The purpose of this assignment is for you to show your understanding of peer-reviewed empirical articles through: 1) reviewing original research; 2) evaluating claims, methods, and conclusions; and 3) communicating your analysis in a way that translates scientific information into common terms for a general audience.

In writing an article review, you gain skills in summarizing key points and findings, interpreting results, evaluating the validity of the methods used and results reported, and communicating information to an audience in ways they understand. Step 1 : Read the tips from the UMGC library on “ Finding Experimental (Empirical) Research Articles .†Pay special attention to the sections on “Scholarly Research Articles†the “Structure of An Experimental Article†Step 2 : Using the UMGC Library electronic databases, find an article published in the last seven (7) years in an APA journal with a focus on Personality (e.g., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology or Personality and Personality Disorders).

The article should describe, specifically, an experiment or empirical study by the researchers. This means that the researchers conducted a study that contains easily identifiable independent and dependent variables. (Do not select meta-analyses, summaries, editorials, or theoretical articles. It is your responsibility to make sure that the journal article you select is appropriate. If you are unsure about the relevance of your article, contact your instructor for approval.). Step 3 : Read the article starting with the Title and Abstract, which will give you a quick preview of the purpose and results of the article.

Step 4 : Read the Introduction. Highlight the purpose of the article and the author’s hypothesis (e.g., what was studied, what the authors predicted, and why they found the topic worthy of study). Pay attention to the context provided for the research (i.e., what research has been done previously in the field? what issue or problem is this study trying to address?) Step 5 : Read the Methods section. Note the description of the participants and any tests, surveys, questionnaires, apparatus, or other materials that were used. Pay particular attention to the details involved in the experimental procedure.

How were the variables manipulated or measured? Recall that the Independent Variable (IV) is the variable that is manipulated by the research (i.e., whether the room is hot or cold (if that is the variable of interest) or whether participants are given a placebo, shown any type of media or other stimuli, given talk therapy, or instructed to take medication (if that is the variable of interest). Remember that the Independent Variable is what was different about the experiences of the different groups. Recall also that the Dependent Variable (DV) is that variable that is measured, or, the outcome of the study (i.e., test performance or lessening of depressive symptoms). Step 6 : Read the Results.

Try not to get intimidated by complex statistical analysis. Instead of focusing on the numbers, focus on the short descriptions that accompany the findings explaining what the researchers found (i.e., Did the researchers find evidence that supports their hypothesis?) Step 7 : Read the Discussion. Pay special attention here to what the authors say about the importance of their findings or the lack of findings. Think about other things you could do to look at this issue. Step 8 : Prepare a 2 to 5 page summary of the article in your own words.

Be sure to address the following questions in your summary: · What is the purpose of the research? (Address specifics regarding the overall purpose of the research in question.) · What hypothesis is tested? (Provide a clear statement of the researchers’ prediction.) · How did the researchers investigate their research question? (Provide details regarding the study methodology.) · What are the pertinent results of the manipulation? (What were the findings and conclusions drawn?) · What is your personal opinion of the study conducted? Should it be repeated? What could be improved? · What is your overall impression of the work? What are the implications of the study for the practice of counseling psychology?

Your summary should be written as a coherent essay (do not format as a list of answers to these questions). You may include additional insights in your analysis, but you must address these key issues. Step 9 : Prepare your Article Review according to the following guidelines: · Structure your paper utilizing APA style (7th Edition); this includes title page, headings , in-text citations , reference page, and general paper format (1-inch margins, double-spaced, appropriately sized sans serif or serif fonts - e.g., 12 Times Roman). An abstract is not required. · Apply sound writing mechanics: write with clarity, paying attention to spelling, grammar, and syntax. · Submit to your Assignment Folder as a single document in Microsoft Word.

Paper for above instructions

Article Review: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and the Distinction Between Intentional and Unintentional Mind Wandering

Introduction

The investigation into the relationship between psychological conditions and cognitive processes has long intrigued psychologists. The article “Depression, Anxiety, and Stress and the Distinction Between Intentional and Unintentional Mind Wandering” by Seli, Beaty, Marty-Dugas, and Smilek (2019) delves into this complex interaction, emphasizing the effects of mind wandering on mental health. The study's primary aim was to assess whether there are distinct differences between intentional and unintentional mind wandering and how each correlates with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of the research is grounded in the observation that mind wandering is a common cognitive phenomenon that can lead to varying psychological states. Prior research has linked excessive mind wandering, particularly unintentional wandering, with lower psychological well-being (Deng & Tang, 2014). The authors sought to differentiate the types of mind wandering—intentional and unintentional—and established the hypothesis that unintentional mind wandering is associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. By analyzing two large independent samples of undergraduate students, the researchers aimed to further substantiate the connection between these cognitive patterns and mental health outcomes (Seli et al., 2019).

Hypothesis Tested

The central hypothesis of the study posits that unintentional mind wandering is positively correlated with the facets of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). In contrast, intentional mind wandering is expected to show no significant relationship with these psychological conditions. The authors anticipated that results would reinforce earlier findings that unintentional mind wandering contributes to poorer mental health outcomes (Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013).

Methodology

The researchers utilized a substantial sample size through online questionnaires, gathering data from two independent cohorts of undergraduate psychology students. The first sample consisted of 2,581 participants (Mage = 20.20, SD = 3.82), while the second comprised 2,107 students (Mage = 20.54, SD = 3.21). Participants reported their experiences of mind wandering using the categories of Mind Wandering-Spontaneous (MW-S) and Mind Wandering-Deliberate (MW-D) (Seli et al., 2019).
The study employed the DASS-21 to assess the psychological well-being of participants—covering depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The researchers then used Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients to analyze the relationships among the measures, with special attention paid to controlling for measurement error (Jensen, 1998).

Results

The findings revealed that both MW-D and MW-S exhibited positive correlations with the facets of the DASS-21. Higher scores in depression, anxiety, and stress corresponded with increased instances of both intentional and unintentional mind wandering. The study corroborated the hypothesis, demonstrating that unintentional mind wandering is indeed associated with poorer psychological health outcomes (Carriere et al., 2013; Seli et al., 2019).

Discussion

In the discussion, the authors elaborate on the implications of their findings. They acknowledge that while individuals with higher mental health symptoms tend to experience increased mind wandering, it remains unclear whether this cognitive process exacerbates or results from mental distress. They suggest that further research is necessary to explore the causal pathways between mind wandering and psychological conditions (Deng et al., 2014).
The article aligns with the understanding that chronic stress can impact cognitive functions, where high cortisol levels may damage neural structures associated with attention and emotion regulation, such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (Popoli et al., 2011). This adds a neurophysiological perspective to the behavioral observations made in the study.
The authors also propose practical implications for counseling psychologists, stressing the importance of early intervention strategies for individuals exhibiting patterns of unintentional mind wandering. Early identification of cognitive patterns may enable practitioners to provide coping strategies, potentially mitigating the development of more severe psychological issues (Liston, McEwen, & Casey, 2009).

Personal Insight

From a personal perspective, the study highlights the real-world complexities of psychological issues, particularly in understanding the mind's workings during periods of mental strain. Having observed similar patterns in loved ones facing mental health issues, the findings resonate profoundly. The implications for the field of counseling psychology are significant—early intervention could provide struggling individuals with necessary resources to combat debilitating thoughts and feelings.

Recommendations for Future Research

Although the study successfully establishes a correlation between unintentional mind wandering and psychological distress, further research is warranted. Investigating demographic variables such as gender, age, and race could yield richer insights and potentially highlight specific population vulnerabilities. Moreover, longitudinal studies following participants over time could clarify if mind wandering symptoms change with psychological interventions or as life circumstances shift.

Conclusion

Seli et al. (2019) contribute valuable insights into the relationship between mind wandering and psychological well-being. The distinction between intentional and unintentional mind wandering sheds light on cognitive processes underlying mental health issues, stressing the need for targeted interventions. The findings have profound implications for counseling psychology, assuring that attention to cognitive patterns can foster earlier and more effective therapeutic approaches.

References

1. Carriere, J. S., Seli, P., & Smilek, D. (2013). Wandering in both mind and body: Individual differences in mind-wandering and inattention predict fidgeting. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale, 67, 19–31.
2. Deng, Y. Q., Li, S., & Tang, Y. Y. (2014). The relationship between wandering mind, depression and mindfulness. Mindfulness, 5, 124–128. 10.1007/s12671-013-0194-7
3. Jensen, A. R. (1998). The g factor: The science of mental ability. Westport, CT: Praeger.
4. Liston, C., McEwen, B. S., & Casey, B. J. (2009). Psychosocial stress reversibly disrupts prefrontal processing and attentional control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106, 912–917. 10.1073/pnas.0817044106
5. Popoli, M., Yan, Z., McEwen, B. S., & Sanacora, G. (2011). The stressed synapse: The impact of stress and glucocorticoids on glutamate transmission. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 13, 22–37. 10.1038/nrn3138
6. Seli, P., Beaty, R. E., Marty-Dugas, J., & Smilek, D. (2019). Depression, anxiety, and stress and the distinction between intentional and unintentional mind wandering. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 6, 2nd ser., doi:10.1037/cns0000164.