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Recent Publications

The Cognitive Processes Promoted by Exposure to Art. Art Seeking Understanding (M.E. G, Schooler J.W.. 2025)

Art possesses the remarkable capacity to expand our cognitive boundaries, prompting us to perceive and engage with our surroundings in novel ways. While such virtues are intrinsically cognitive, existing research has primarily explored the emotional repercussions of art, leaving its epistemic value largely to critical theory. Indeed, the bulk of prior studies have focused on immediate responses to art, such as emotional reactions or aesthetic evaluations,1 with little attention paid to art’s downstream influence on cognitive outcomes. Our research program pioneered one of the first extensive empirical initiatives to bridge this void, adopting a comprehensive methodology that concurrently addresses individual-specific and art-specific variables.

Opening the black box: Think Aloud as a method to study the spontaneous stream of consciousness (Garg A., Shelat S., Gross M.E., Smallwood J., Seli P., Taxali A., Sripada C.S., Schooler J.W.. 2025)

Asking participants to Think Aloud is a common method for studying conscious experience, but it remains unclear whether this approach alters thought qualities—such as meta-awareness, rate of topic shifts, or the content of thoughts in task-absent conditions. To investigate this, we conducted two studies comparing thinking aloud to thinking silently. In Study 1, 111 participants alternated between 15-minute intervals of verbalizing and silently reflecting on their stream of consciousness in a counterbalanced design. A subset also reported topic shifts intermittently via self- and probe-catching methods. Results showed that the stream of consciousness was minimally reactive to the Think Aloud protocol, with no significant differences in meta-awareness and topic shifting rates. Moreover, among 21 thought qualities and 18 content topics analyzed, only three qualities (private thoughts, mind blanking, and session difficulty) and one topic (partner, intimacy, love, and sexual matters) differed between Think Aloud and Silent Think. In Study 2, 102 participants either did Think Aloud or Silent Think while responding to thought probes. Findings replicated the lack of differences in the frequency and meta-awareness of topic shifts between Think Aloud and Silent Think. Furthermore, no differences in reported cognitive load were observed between the two conditions. These results emphasize the value of the Think Aloud procedure for examining the stream of consciousness, demonstrating its reliability and minimal impact on the natural flow of thoughts. Thus, Think Aloud offers a robust model system for examining the otherwise unverbalized stream of consciousness in task-absent contexts.

Smartphone-based program for enhancing curiosity and its associated virtues: a randomized waitlist-controlled pilot study (Gross M.E., Schooler J.W.. 2025)

This study evaluated a smartphone-based intervention designed to promote dispositional curiosity through daily behavioral activities and ‘mindful curiosity’ practices, which promote an inquiring stance towards everyday experiences. Participants (N = 91) were randomly assigned to the app intervention (with half further assigned to the mindful curiosity component) or a waitlist control. Pre- and post-tests assessed trait curiosity and several of its correlates, including meaning in life, boredom proneness, and creative behavior. Results revealed that app users, compared to the control group, showed significant increases in perceptual curiosity, meaning in life, and creative behaviors. Follow-up contrasts indicated that while both app user subgroups showed increased creative behaviors, only the group with the additional mindful curiosity component showed significant increases in presence of meaning, mindful awareness, and reduced boredom proneness. These findings suggest that trait curiosity and its benefits can be cultivated through targeted interventions, particularly when combining attitudinal and behavioral strategies.

We are also drawn to broader questions at the frontier of science, including:

Sage Center for the Study of the Mind

The UCSB SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, directed by Dr. Schooler, promotes the study of the relationship between brain, mind and behavior. By organizing a vast and interdisciplinary group of experts, the SAGE center aims to integrate a wide range of scholarly endeavors and technologies in the humanities, social sciences, and the sciences.

SAGE Center Website

Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential

Our research is redefining scientific understanding of how rapidly and substantially a person can change by eliciting dramatic improvements in health, fulfillment, cognitive abilities, gene expression, and brain dynamics.

CMHP Website

Join Us

Our lab explores the frontiers of consciousness, from mind-wandering and creativity to the very nature of science itself. We are dedicated to providing close mentorship in a supportive environment, helping every member reach their full potential as a researcher.

Learn more about how to join our team.