Some thoughts, belief, or feelings we have are impactful (guide judgment and behavior) and some are not.
Several projects in the lab attempt to understand when or for whom mental contents will have impact. For example, some work in the lab examines individual and situational differences in confidence, generally finding that traits and situational factors that foster confidence, also foster the impact of attitudes, goals, and self-perceptions (e.g., DeMarree et al., 2012; 2020; Rios et al., 2014).
Other research examines how the mindfulness-related concept of decentering can predict the impact of (especially negative) emotions (e.g., DeMarree et al., 2019; 2023; Naragon-Gainey et al., 2017; 2023). In addition, a great deal of research in the lab includes projects aimed at better understanding how to measure traits that predict the impact of our mental contents (e.g., DeMarree et al., 2020; DeMarree & Bobrowski, 2019; DeMarree & Naragon-Gainey, 2022; Naragon-Gainey & DeMarree, 2017)