Principal Investigator: dr hab. Przemysław Bąbel, prof. UJ

The role of cognitive inhibition in the involuntary mental time travel. A comprehensive investigation of involuntary autobiographical memories and involuntary future thoughts. Abstract: Research project objectives. The main object of the present project is to investigate the role of cognitive inhibition in the formation of autobiographical memories (IAMs). They will be carefully investigated in the context of involuntary future thoughts (IFTs) –a new phenomenon emerging in the field of involuntary mental time travel research. The scientific interest in the ability to mentally travel through subjective time is rapidly developing these years. Studies on similarities and differences between IAMs and IFTs are consideredimportant for our understanding of human cognition.Project investigates and explores the most basic and essential mechanisms of IAMs and IFTs.It can be argued that the key mechanism of IAMs and IFTs may be the ability to inhibit and suppress irrelevant information. Therefore, we might expect that the stronger inhibitory mechanism participants have, the fewer IAMs and IFTs theywouldexperience. In addition, this relationship may be modified by the cognitive control especially while we are engaged in performing cognitively loaded tasks.These hypotheses will be thoroughly verified. Finally, the overriding objectivesof the present project are (1)to launch a systematic research on IAMs and IFTs using laboratory-experimental methods and (2) to applyindividual differences approach into mental time travel research. Research project methodology. To fulfil all these purposes a well-organized series of four experiments were planned, each of which teases apart cognitive inhibition mechanism from different angle contributingto a more comprehensive understanding of this topic.Studies1a and 1b employ a systematic manipulation of cognitive resources to exert inhibition. Participants will be engaged in performing task that is aimed at either highly or lowly reducing the capacity to exert inhibition. If the strength of cognitive inhibition modifies the frequency of IAMsand IFTs, exhausting the inhibitionefficiency should intensify theirfrequency.Study 2 applies both individual differences and appliedclinical approach into IAMs and IFTsresearch.The main question is whether people with low individual level of cognitive inhibition are more prone to experience IAMs and IFTs comparing withpeople with average and high level of cognitive inhibition. Due to the fact, that low inhibition efficiency is a suspected symptom in ADHD, this study extends the non-clinical group to a sub-clinical group of adults diagnosed with ADHD. Study 3 is set out to assess interactive effects between: (a) individual level of cognitive inhibition, (b) experimental manipulation of the cognitive capacity to exert inhibition, and (c) experimental manipulation of the cognitive load. According to the cognitive load dependency view, the frequency of IAMs and IFTs should not be influenced by additional activity as long as they arise automatically and at little cognitive cost. Another possibility is that this dependency may be modified by individuallevel of cognitive inhibition. In all experiments I utilize an often-employed experimental methodology to elicit IAMs and IFTsunder well-controlled conditions. Thus, I will be able to manipulate both cognitive resources to exert inhibition and cognitive load. This method is madespecifically tosimulate the circumstances in which IAMs have been most frequently observed in daily life.Participants areengaged in anuninteresting vigilance task and they areexposed tothe presentation of short verbal phrases some of which may incidentally triggerIAMs and IFTs. All together these studies exhaustivelyexaminecognitive inhibition dependency of IAMs and IFTs.Expectedimpact of the research project. Until now, the focus of memory researchers was primarily on the voluntary processes. As it turns out, remembering our past and imaging events in the personal future is not always a goal-oriented process. Importantly, the ability to mentally travel through subjective time may be considered important in relation to various mental disorders(depression, ADHD)and to other mental processes (e.g. identity, creativity, planning, self-regulation). For that reason, supplementing the existing knowledge about IAMs and IFTs and mechanisms that underlie them is an important step towards obtaining a comprehensive insight into the nature and functioning of memory processes and, in general,intohuman cognition. Importantly, research on IAMsand IFTshas also important implications for the understanding of intrusive memories in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)and related disorders. Studies on cognitive mechanisms of IAMs and IFTs may paly an important role in developing strategies for coping with intrusive memories. This is already one of the most interesting and intriguing prospects for experimental research.There have been no systematic experimental studies addressing directly the influence of the basic cognitive processes on the occurrence of IAMs and IFTs. The present research project is a first advanced experimental attempt to solidly challenge the questions: how do IAMs and IFTs come to mind and why do some of us experience them so frequently? In addition, the project addresses a recently emerged urgent need for answering the question concerning the similarities and differences between IAMs andIFTs.The pioneering nature of the project liesalsoin its novelty and complexity. For the very first time, there will be used directmanipulation ofcognitive inhibition in relation to IAMs and IFTs. For that reason, the project allows describing therelationshipbetween inhibition and IAMs and IFTsina cause-effect frame. Taking all these together, the realisation of the present project: (1) createsnew perspectives for future research and instigatesmore studies on these questions, (2) contributessignificantly to our knowledge about the ability to mentally travel through subjective time, (3) may havean impact on the development of the autobiographical memory research field.