New research paper published!
Hungarian members of ICMDR Alexandra Sándor and Judith Molnar coauthored a study on attachment characteristics and emotion regulation among MDers.
Maladaptive daydreaming is an excessive form of daydreaming which causes significant distress and functional impairment to the affected individuals. Research on maladaptive daydreaming has intensified in recent years, but its pathogenesis has not yet been clearly elucidated. The aim of the study was to examine the attachment characteristics and the difficulties in emotion regulation among maladaptive and normal daydreamers. 717 individuals were recruited online, 106 of whom were screened as maladaptive daydreamers. The results of the Attachment Style Questionnaire revealed a specific attachment style among maladaptive daydreamers, who were characterized by ‘Ambivalent-fearful’ attachment characteristics, while normal daydreamers showed ‘Secure-independent’ attachment style. Regarding emotion regulation difficulties, maladaptive daydreamers showed a significantly higher level of deficit on each subscale of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale compared to normal daydreamers. The findings highlighted the potential role of early attachment experiences in the etiology and pathogenesis of maladaptive daydreaming, as well as the presence of severe emotion regulation deficits among problematic daydreamers. The results revealed by the present study might give contributions to the development of psychotherapeutical treatment of maladaptive daydreaming.
Sándor, A., Bugán, A., Nagy, A., Bogdán, L.S., & Molnár, L. (2021). Attachment characteristics and emotion regulation difficulties among maladaptive and normal daydreamers. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01546-5
To view the study in it’s entirety visit the ICMDR HERE.