Development of the Japanese version of the Theories of Mind Wandering Scale and testing its reliability and validity

Abstract

Previous studies have revealed that the differences in individuals’ beliefs about the extent to which mind wandering is controllable—termed the implicit theories of mind wandering—affect the frequencies of and responses to mind wandering. The Theories of Mind Wandering Scale (TOMW) assesses the implicit theories of mind wandering. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the TOMW and test its reliability and validity. We found that the Japanese version of the TOMW had a one-factor structure similar to that in the literature. Furthermore, the TOMW score was correlated with established measures of mind wandering in everyday life (Studies 1-4), thought control ability (Study 2), thought control strategies and dysfunctional responses to mind wandering (Study 3), and the frequencies of mind wandering during the Sustained Attention to Response Task (Study 4). Moreover, the scale had high internal consistency and test-retest reliability (Studies 1 & 2). These results suggest that the Japanese version of the TOMW has adequate reliability and validity.