Children with lower mood more likely to experience mind wandering

Children with lower mood are more likely to struggle with attention and mind wandering according to new research.

The study, which focused on children aged 8 to 12, found that those who reported feeling lower in mood were significantly more likely to have wandering thoughts -particularly focused on the past. Children who felt down were not only more prone to mind wandering in general but were especially likely to mentally drift back to previous experiences. 

The research findings, published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, revealed a strong link between children's mood and how often their thoughts wander.

Lead author of the study Dr Agnieszka Graham from Queen's University Belfast said: 

"Our research highlights a significant link between mind wandering and mood in children aged 8 - 12 years. There is a clear association between lower mood and the likelihood to engage in mind wandering. We also found that lower mood predicts a greater tendency for children's minds to wander to past events. We observed a relationship between worry and future-oriented thoughts, but further research is needed to understand this connection more fully."

The study showed that, on average, children's minds were off-task around 23% of the time - a figure consistent with previous studies. However, children who reported feeling in a lower mood were significantly more likely to experience frequent episodes of mind wandering.

Importantly, the research also highlighted a difference in the type of mind wandering. Children in lower moods were more likely to have past-oriented thoughts - that is, their minds were more likely to drift toward things that had already happened, rather than thinking about the present or imagining the future.

Dr Graham added: 

"These findings offer valuable insight into how internal emotional states can affect children's attention and thought patterns. They also suggest that helping children manage low mood could have a positive impact on their ability to stay focused - something that has important implications for learning and classroom behaviour."

Following the publication of the research Dr Helena Bunn, Chair of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology at the British Psychological Society, has compiled her top tips for teachers and parents. These include: 

• Establish a positive, supportive relationship with each child by showing care and interest in their lives. Make sure children feel safe and valued in the classroom.
• Use play-based learning, which is crucial for children's development. Provide opportunities for imaginative play, hands-on activities, and interactive experiences.
• Encourage children to see challenges as opportunities for growth. Praise effort and persistence rather than innate ability. Help them understand that making mistakes is part of learning.
• Use storytelling as a way to connect with children and make learning more meaningful. Stories help young children process emotions, understand different perspectives, and become engaged in the content.
• Encourage group work and collaboration with peers. Cooperative learning activities help build social connections and improve engagement.

Dr Bunn said:

"There could be several reasons for why children experience low mood and increased mind wandering as a result. These factors could be in the classroom or in a child's life, such as not having a feeling of belonging, a lack of friends or meaning in life. It is vital therefore to create a learning environment that promotes children's motivation, engagement and wellbeing.

"It is completely natural for children to experience mind wandering throughout the day, but it can cause issues when focusing on specific tasks that need a fuller attention span. In these cases, it's important as adults to remain calm and deploy some simple tips and tricks which can immediately help improve a child's focus."