Table 7.

Modeling Results for the Five-Factor Personality Traits as Predictors of On-Task Thought (Versus Mind Wandering) and of Mind-Wandering Content

Outcome and predictor	b	z	p
Mind-wandering rate
Openness	−0.13 [−0.24, −0.03]	−2.49	.013
Conscientiousness	0.06 [−0.04, 0.16]	1.21	.225
Extraversion	0.01 [−0.10, 0.12]	0.18	> .250
Agreeableness	−0.03 [−0.13, 0.07]	−0.55	> .250
Neuroticism	−0.02 [−0.15, 0.11]	−0.30	> .250
Daydreaming content
Openness	0.18 [0.04, 0.32]	2.47	.014
Conscientiousness	−0.00 [−0.15, 0.14]	−0.03	> .250
Extraversion	−0.04 [−0.19, 0.11]	−0.53	> .250
Agreeableness	−0.16 [−0.31, −0.01]	−2.08	.037
Neuroticism	0.16 [−0.03, 0.35]	1.63	.102
Worrying content
Openness	−0.12 [−0.25, 0.01]	−1.86	.063
Conscientiousness	−0.03 [−0.17, 0.11]	−0.42	> .250
Extraversion	0.09 [−0.05, 0.23]	1.26	.209
Agreeableness	0.05 [−0.09, 0.19]	0.67	> .250
Neuroticism	0.33 [0.19, 0.47]	4.58	< .001
Things-to-do content
Openness	−0.07 [−0.20, 0.07]	−0.98	> .250
Conscientiousness	0.04 [−0.10, 0.18]	0.54	> .250
Extraversion	0.19 [0.03, 0.35]	2.32	.020
Agreeableness	−0.01 [−0.15, 0.13]	−0.13	> .250
Neuroticism	0.02 [−0.11, 0.16]	0.32	> .250
Surroundings content
Openness	0.09 [−0.05, 0.24]	1.22	.222
Conscientiousness	−0.03 [−0.17, 0.10]	−0.50	> .250
Extraversion	−0.03 [−0.18, 0.12]	−0.42	> .250
Agreeableness	−0.12 [−0.24, 0.01]	−1.85	.064
Neuroticism	−0.09 [−0.26, 0.09]	−0.99	> .250

Note: For this analysis, all predictors were standardized and modeled simultaneously. A higher score for mind wandering indicated more on-task thought, and a lower score indicated more mind wandering. Values inside brackets are 95% confidence intervals. Significant effects (p < .05 for the analyses listed in the first paragraph of the Results section, p < .005 for all other analyses) are highlighted in boldface.