Historically, scientific research using eye tracking to examine mind wandering has been conducted predominately with white undergraduates. Additionally, eye tracking data has been limited to those with the necessary equipment and funds to collect the data. This dataset aims to further research by providing a source of data collected from a diverse population across a variety of studies.
Mind wandering has been defined multiple ways in the literature (Christoff, Mills, et al., 2018). In this dataset, we measured multiple dimensions of thought that have been termed “mind wandering.” These include things like: 1) task-unrelated thought, or when an individual is not engaged in the current task, and 2) freely moving thought, or when an individuals mind is moving freely without strong constraints (either directed or being “pulled” to certain things).
Mind wandering is a complex construct that has been found to be negatively related to learning outcomes and performance. However, it has also been positively linked to creativity and positive affect. These nuances are important to further explore, which is why we created this dataset during learning activities.
Participants work on a task while an eye tracker records their gaze coordinates. Mind wandering behavior is self-reported through probes, self-caught measures, or questionnaires. These responses can then serve as ground truth that can be mapped to the gaze patterns that occurred around the same time.
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This work was funded by the Tools Competition and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The findings and conclusions contained within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect positions or policies of the foundation.