Memory consolidation has been shown to be strengthened by sleep as well as wakeful rest. This study examines the impact of mind-wandering on consolidation. There is an ongoing debate in the...Show moreMemory consolidation has been shown to be strengthened by sleep as well as wakeful rest. This study examines the impact of mind-wandering on consolidation. There is an ongoing debate in the scientific community, however, on how to appropriately measure mind-wandering as well as its role in consolidation. Multiple experiments have been done already, yet, their flawed design invalidated the results (Brokaw et al., 2016; Craig et al., 2014; Varma et al., 2019; Varma et al., 2018). This experiment used the metronome response task (MRT) and measured memory performance, with the goal of finding out if rhythmic reaction time variability can be used as a proxy for mind-wandering. Results show that participants with higher mind-wandering tendency are significantly more likely to mind-wander during the MRT. Rhythmic reaction time variability (RRTv) for off-task probes is significantly higher than for on-task probes. Overall RRTv values do not have a significant correlation with the Mind-Wandering Spontaneous questionnaire scores. Lastly, people with higher RRTv during mind-wandering probes have higher memory scores. In general, the results show RRTv to be a behavioral proxy for mind-wandering, and mind-wandering may improve consolidation.Show less