Abstract :
[en] Topic and Research Questions. Our mind is never at rest and has the remarkable ability to continuously generate spontaneous thoughts (STs). Traditionally, the Thought Probes Procedure (TPP), wherein participants report their STs upon random prompts, has been used to study STs. However, this method presents limitations in tracking the dynamic flow of thoughts because the features of STs experienced between prompts cannot be assessed. In response, researchers have recently revisited the Think-Aloud Procedure (TAP), where participants continuously verbalize their STs. However, the validity of this method for assessing STs has been questioned, and our aim in the present study was to examine the validity of the TAP by comparing the features of STs reported using different methods.
Method. Participants reported their STs for two 8-minute rest periods in the laboratory, with either the TAP or the TPP. In addition, we used the Everyday Life Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to capture STs during the participants’ daily activities over a three-day period. Participants also rated the features of each reported ST on a series of phenomenological dimensions (e.g., temporal orientation, self-relevance, etc.) on a self-report questionnaire.
Results. Our results show substantial similarities between TAP and TPP, and closer resemblance between TAP and ESM than between TPP and ESM.
Conclusion and Contribution. Our results suggest that the TAP offers a comprehensive understanding of STs, demonstrating a closer alignment with real-life experiences than the traditional TPP. Moreover, its ability to capture the dynamic nature of STs highlights its potential for future cognitive research.
