MuseFlow: Facilitating Mind-Wandering Through Video Games

Abstract

Mind-wandering, i.e., letting the mind drift away from the task at hand, is mostly seen as a state of mind to avoid, as it may negatively impact the current task. However, evidence in cognitive science shows that mind-wandering can also positively affect creativity and problem-solving. Still, there is a lack of technological solutions to facilitate and utilize mind-wandering in such a specific way. In this short paper, we present MuseFlow, a video game designed to facilitate mind-wandering deliberately. Our study shows that MuseFlow induces mind-wandering significantly more often compared to a demanding game condition while maintaining the players’ motivation to play and succeed in the game.