Mind Wandering Distorts Long-Term Procedural Memory via Reconsolidation

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that mind wandering may be a spontaneous means of memory modification without exogenous intervention. In the present study, we tested whether procedural and declarative memory can be distorted by intentional (deliberate) and unintentional (spontaneous) mind wandering via the memory reconsolidation time window, namely, within 6 hours after long-term memory had been retrieved. We found that both intentional and unintentional mind wandering to interference information during the reconsolidation time window distorted participants’ original procedural memories, and more vivid mind wandering led to greater memory distortion. However, no evidence has suggested that mind wandering can distort declarative memory. Our study provides empirical evidence for the notion that memory could be distorted during mind wandering, likely due to an active process of memory reactivation and consolidation. These findings provide new insights into the manner in which conditions in our everyday lives cause memory distortions and the underlying mechanisms.

Note:
Funding declaration: This work was supported by grants from The National Natural Science Foundation of China (32100886, 32161143022, 71942003, 31771221, 61773360, and 71874170), Major Project of Philosophy and Social Science Research, Ministry of Education of China (19JZD010), CAS-VPST Silk Road Science Fund 2021 (GLHZ202128), Collaborative Innovation Program of Hefei Science Center, CAS (2020HSC-CIP001), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016M592051).

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical Approval: This study was approved by the Human Ethics Committee of University of Science and Technology of China, and all participants provided written informed consent.

Keywords: mind wandering, memory distortion, reconsolidation, long-term memory