Table 1 Overview of Goal Management Training protocol
GMT session | Description |
|---|---|
Session 1: the absent mind, the present mind | Introduce the concept of absentmindedness and normalize the experience. Explain present-mindedness using mindfulness techniques. |
Session 2: absentminded slip-ups | Introduce construct of absentminded slips with examples, and discuss emotional and practical consequences. Introduce the “Body Scan” mindfulness exercise. |
Session 3: the automatic pilot | Describe “automatic pilot” as being a habitual mechanism which can lead to inappropriate responses or actions if not monitored. Introduce the “Breathing Exercise” mindfulness technique. |
Session 4: stop the automatic pilot | Participants are introduced to the “STOP!” technique as a method of bringing one’s attention to the present to monitor current behavior. The short “Breath Focus” mindfulness exercise is described. |
Session 5: the mental blackboard | The construct of working memory as a “mental blackboard,” which can be erased or over saturated with information, is explained. Participants are taught to check “the mental blackboard” to keep current goals at the forefront of memory. Introduce how to incorporate present-mindedness (specifically the “Breath Focus”) into behavior monitoring and executing difficult tasks as a method for increasing accuracy and memory. |
Session 6: state your goal | Describe how goals can become entangled when attempting to multi-task. Introduce the concept of stating one’s goal as a way to aid encoding and recall of that goal. |
Session 7: making decisions | Introduce the concept of conflicting goals and detail strategies for how to make decisions. Review methods for keeping track of complex goals using to-do lists. |
Session 8: splitting tasks into subtasks | Practice completing tasks that are too complex to rely on working memory only, and detail strategies for how to divide large goals into a series of smaller, more manageable subgoals. |
Session 9: STOP! | Review the material covered across previous sessions and underscore the importance of goal monitoring (the “STOP!” technique). |