Clare Walsh

Mind-wandering and imagination

People spend much of their time, not in the present moment, but reflecting on the past and imagining what might happen in the future. This option will explore mind-wandering and imaginary thinking. It will investigate what causes our minds to wander and when people do so what they are likely to think about. We will examine the processes underlying imaginary thinking and particularly how we imagine alternatives to the past. Finally, we will explore the consequences of imaginary thinking for our mood and for the judgments that we make. Format: This course will be taught in an interactive style using a combination of group discussion and lecturing.