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Topic · Cognitive Neuroscience

Mind wandering and attention

Mind wandering and attention is a research topic within Cognitive Neuroscience. Science Explorer counts 8.2k research works in it since 1956. 24.2% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers explores the neuroscience of mind wandering, attention lapses, and cognitive failures. It delves into the neural correlates, default network, executive system contributions, sustained attention, and the impact of boredom proneness on self-generated thought. The research also investigates the neurocognitive consequences and functional connectivity within intrinsic brain networks related to mind wandering.

  • Mind Wandering
  • Attention Lapses
  • Default Network
  • Executive System
  • Cognitive Failures
  • Neural Correlates
  • Sustained Attention
  • Boredom Proneness
  • Self-generated Thought
  • Neurocognitive Consequences
Research works
8.2k
fractional, since 1956
In the world top 10%
2k
per year above
Top-10% rate
24.2%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
+66%
the tick is no change

Which countries lead Mind wandering and attention research?

By volume, the United States and China publish the most (535 and 304 works in 2022–2025).

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 United States 535 works
  2. 2 China 304 works
  3. 3 United Kingdom 171 works
  4. 4 Germany 158 works
  5. 5 Canada 113 works
  6. 6 India 104 works
  7. 7 France 102 works
  8. 8 Japan 96 works
  9. 9 Australia 84 works
  10. 10 Türkiye 82 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

United States: 30.6%China: 17.4%United Kingdom: 9.8%Germany: 9.0%6 others listed: 33.2%31%largest
United States535 · 30.6%China304 · 17.4%United Kingdom171 · 9.8%Germany158 · 9.0%6 others listed582 · 33.2%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Mind wandering and attention research?

By volume in 2022–2025, University of Waterloo publishes the most Mind wandering and attention research, followed by Beijing Normal University and University of Toronto.

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 University of WaterlooCanada 13 works
  2. 2 Beijing Normal UniversityChina 9 works
  3. 3 University of TorontoCanada 9 works
  4. 4 University College LondonUnited Kingdom 9 works
  5. 5 University of HaifaIsrael 8 works
  6. 6 University of FloridaUnited States 8 works
  7. 7 Tsinghua UniversityChina 8 works
  8. 8 Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong 7 works
  9. 9 Washington University in St. LouisUnited States 7 works
  10. 10 The University of MelbourneAustralia 7 works

Who are the leading researchers in Mind wandering and attention?

The most-cited researchers publishing on Mind wandering and attention include Wilmar B. Schaufeli, Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and Lennart E. Nacke.

  1. 1 Wilmar B. Schaufeli Netherlands 5.3k citations
  2. 2 Mihály Csíkszentmihályi United States 4.1k citations
  3. 3 Lennart E. Nacke Canada 2.7k citations

Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.

Where is Mind wandering and attention research done?

The largest centres of Mind wandering and attention research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), London (United Kingdom), Tokyo (Japan) and Paris (France).

Largest cities, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Beijing China 58 works
  2. 2 London United Kingdom 44 works
  3. 3 Tokyo Japan 32 works
  4. 4 Paris France 32 works
  5. 5 New York United States 22 works
  6. 6 Shanghai China 22 works
  7. 7 Melbourne Australia 22 works
  8. 8 Hong Kong China 18 works
  9. 9 Guangzhou China 18 works
  10. 10 Toronto Canada 18 works
See Mind wandering and attention on the map

Where is the best place to study Mind wandering and attention?

Among universities, judged by research, University of Waterloo, Beijing Normal University and University of Haifa score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%20%40%mean 28.3%fractional works in this node (log) →share in the world top 10% →University of Waterloo: 14, 26.2%Beijing Normal University: 9, 37.7%University of Haifa: 8, 23.4%University of Toronto: 9, 26.7%University College London: 9, 27.5%Beijing Normal Unive…University of TorontoUniversity of WaterlooUniversity of Haifa
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1 University of WaterlooCanada 63.226.2%9.8×14 +78.8%
2 Beijing Normal UniversityChina 48.937.7%5.4×9 +47.0%
3 University of HaifaIsrael 41.423.4%14.8×8 +164.4%
4 University of TorontoCanada 29.526.7%2.5×9 +137.0%
5 University College LondonUnited Kingdom 21.527.5%2.6×9 +4.4%

Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.

Is Mind wandering and attention research growing?

Output in 2018–2022 was 66% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Mind wandering and attention.

19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.