Frederik Tollerup Junker

Frederik Tollerup Junker

PhD fellow

Current research

Studies show that we spend up to half of our waking hours mind-wandering and that it affects both our mood and cognitive performance. But although this phenomenon occupies a central place in our mental lives, much is still unknown about its nature and functions.

There is growing evidence that rather than being a mere failure to control our thoughts, mind-wandering can be a strategy with important functions in mental life. Yet the functions of mind-wandering remain to be fully appreciated and explained. In my project, I will develop novel accounts of the roles mind-wandering seems to play in planning, reasoning, and creative thinking and argue that mind-wandering is a more purposeful activity than previously thought.

Primary fields of research

Philosophy of mind

  • Mind-wandering
  • Episodic thought (memory; imagination)
  • Attention

Philosophy of action

  • Planning agency
  • Practical reason
  • Intentions
  • Guidance
  • Mental action

Cognitive science

  • Executive control
  • Motivation
  • Computational frameworks (Predictive Processing; Reinforcement learning)
  • Bounded rationality
  • Mental time travel

Beyond the research related to my PhD project, I also have interests in the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, including the ethics of AI.

If you have similar interests or questions related to my research, feel free to reach out!

ID: 318145217