When does Mind Wandering Become Meaningful? -The Impact of Mind Wandering on Purchase Intention in Different Cognitive Load Tasks

Abstract

Abstract: Mind wandering is an inevitable and common experience in individuals' daily lives. With the ubiquity of social media and smart devices, consumers experience more mind wandering when receiving product information. However, few studies in the marketing field have explored the influence of mind wandering on purchase intention and its functional adaptability. Specifically, the positive impact of mind wandering on consumers' purchase intentions during the information coding process has not been systematically discussed. Drawing on the fuzzy tracking theory and psychological simulation research, this paper employs experimental methods and eye-tracking experiments to investigate the impact of mind wandering on purchase intention under varying levels of cognitive load. Bootstrap analysis is used to test the mediating effect of process orientation and outcome orientation. The results demonstrate that a higher level of mind wandering has a positive impact on purchase intention under conditions of higher cognitive load, while a lower level of mind wandering has a positive impact on purchase intention under conditions of lower cognitive load. Consumers with higher levels of mind wandering perceive more outcome-orientation, leading to increased purchase intention under conditions of higher cognitive load. Conversely, consumers with lower levels of mind wandering perceive more process orientation, resulting in increased purchase intention under conditions of lower cognitive load. Moreover, mind wandering has a significant impact on purchase intentions only in tasks with high-level cognitive load caused by an increase in the number of products, rather than an increase in attribute information. These results contribute to the existing literature on the positive effects of mind wandering on consumer behavior and provide insights into the psychological mechanisms influenced by mind wandering. The findings also have important practical implications for marketers in disseminating information with varying cognitive loads.

Key words: mind-wandering, cognitive load, outcome-orientation, process-orientation, purchase intention

Qiao Lin, Li Dongjin, Yang Qiang, Jiang Yushi. When does Mind Wandering Become Meaningful? -The Impact of Mind Wandering on Purchase Intention in Different Cognitive Load Tasks[J]. Management Review, 2025, 37(5): 133-144.

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