A new study surveyed 258 Americans using experience sampling for daily updates on their thoughts.

Almost half of all thoughts recorded related to bodily signals, work, and food.

Cats and dogs were mentioned more than children; and mothers much more than fathers.

A new study, currently in preprint, reports on what Americans think about. Using a technique called the experience sampling method (ESM), the researchers surveyed 258 Americans, who provided the researchers with 23,338 thought record entries. The respondents’ ages ranged from 19 to 71, while 47% were female, 21% were non-white, and education spans ranged from 10 and 21 years.

The respondents would get random notifications by way of an app throughout their days and would then file a thought record based on instructions. Respondents described the thought they were having when they received the notification, and reported:

Whether the thought was intrusive or intentional.

Which category it applied to, including: Personal care, eat/drink, household activity, purchase, care/help family, care/help non-family, work related, education, civic/clubs, leisure/sports, calls/mail/email, and other. Thought records were analyzed by the researchers for more granularity than these categories.

Personal care, eat/drink, household activity, purchase, care/help family, care/help non-family, work related, education, civic/clubs, leisure/sports, calls/mail/email, and other.

Thought records were analyzed by the researchers for more granularity than these categories.

Their happiness at that time, on a 10-point scale.

Given the........

© Psychology Today