Research – Page 2 – Maladaptive Daydreaming Center

Immersive and Maladaptive Daydreaming and Divergent Thinking in Autism Spectrum Disorders

10Oct

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Informative, Research, Resource

Immersive and Maladaptive Daydreaming and Divergent Thinking in Autism Spectrum Disorders

New paper published! Melina Jay West, Eli Somer and Inge-Marie Eigsti recently published a paper on divergent thinking, MD and ASD. It was published in Imagination, Cognition and Personality, a Sage Journal; "Since 1981, Imagination, Cognition and Personality has presented thoughtful investigations of mental images and fantasies, memory fragments and future anticipations, sensations and emotions, intrapersonal communication, and narrative constructions." The following is from the Abstract: Little is known about the internal mental experiences of individuals with ASD. While some research suggests a limited capacity for imagination, other studies show heightened interest in fantasy and unique forms of creative thinking in ASD. This study explored daydreaming experiences in adults wit...

Dreaming or Daydreaming During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Comparison Between Maladaptive and Nonmaladaptive Daydreamers

2Sep

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Announcement, Research

Dreaming or Daydreaming During COVID-19 Lockdown: A Comparison Between Maladaptive and Nonmaladaptive Daydreamers

Italian Team Publishes Study in APA Journal Psychology of Consciousness Abstract: Starting from the idea that dreaming could be considered an index of the psychological health of individuals regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, a major risk of psychological maladjustment has been registered for maladaptive daydreamers. Nevertheless, there is a gap in literature about dreaming in MDers in general and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in dreaming and dream content between probable MDers and non-MDers during the COVID 19 lockdown in Italy. A total of 3,857 Italian adults (664 probable MDers), completed the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) and the Mannheim Dream Questionnaire (MADRE). Among them, 1,095 participants (222 pro...

Maladaptive Daydreaming: epidemiological data on a newly identified syndrome.

28Apr

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Informative, Research

Maladaptive Daydreaming: epidemiological data on a newly identified syndrome.

New Study Published A new study on MD was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry a journal which "publishes rigorously peer-reviewed research across a wide spectrum of translational, basic and clinical research." The study was conducted with 1,023 participants by Dr. Nirit Soffer-Dudek and Dr. Nitzan Theodor-Katz of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. A portion of the abstract is below: Results: The skewness of most items of the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale(MDS-16) supports the notion of MD as a binary construct rather than a normallydistributed trait. In the community sample, 4.2% exceeded the cutoff for suspected MD.Rates were higher when focusing on the young adult age group or student samples(5.5–8.5%), suggesting a likely age effect. Following clinical intervi...

31Mar

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Informative, Research

Could Immersive Daydreaming Underlie a Deficit in Attention?

The prevalence and characteristics of maladaptive daydreaming in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A new study on the relationship of MD and ADHD was published recently in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. From the abstract: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) entails excessive immersion and engagement in complex fantasy worlds, causing distress and impairing functioning. Maladaptive Daydreamers often report that existing diagnostic labels are unhelpful for them. Previous studies reported high rates of comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among persons with MD, raising the question of their separateness. This study explored whether MD differs essentially from ADHD by examining an ADHD sample, hypothesizing a much lower incidence of MD... In ac...

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: MD and Thought Patterns

23Mar

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Announcement, Research

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: MD and Thought Patterns

New Study of Maladaptive Daydreaming in Need of Participants Study objective: The current study explores the differences between distinct types of thought patterns impairing people’s ability to concentrate and be attentive to tasks they need to do (e.g., work, classes). We are looking for English-speaking adults who consider themselves daydreamers, or who have been formally diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We are seeking your consent to include you as a participant in our study. Must be:English speaking18+Daydreamer and/or ADHD (formally diagnosed) Join us for an exciting study at the Consciousness & Psychopathology lab.Link for the study info and certificate of consent:https://bgupsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9AHk6fuZ6grPnro

Call for Participation: French Speakers Needed

31Jan

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Research, Uncategorized

Call for Participation: French Speakers Needed

University of Lausanne Conducting Research on Maladaptive Daydreaming I am part of a team led by Daniela Jopp; we are conducting research on this theme at the University of Lausanne, and this post is part of a recruitment effort.We have a focus on developing appropriate approaches to treatment, and on shedding light on the cognitive features of MDers, and interactions between MD and some of its prominent comorbidities.For now, we are only able to test French-speakers, however translation efforts are ongoing and we should soon be able to take on English-speakers as participants.Should you wish to become a subject in our research efforts, kindly express your interest through a mail to valentin.donze@unil.ch. Please specify in the mail whether you are a French-speaker, and we will get bac...

Call for Participation: Grad student dissertation

27Jan

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Research, Uncategorized

Call for Participation: Grad student dissertation

Alliant International University Hello everyone! We are looking for volunteers who are maladaptive daydreamers to better understand their experiences. If you're interested, please click HERE. This study is conducted by graduate student Victoria Richardson, MA, under the supervision of Jan Estrellado, Ph.D. For more information email vrichardson@alliant.edu To participate you must meet these requirements:18 years or older fluent in English recurrent fantasy that is vivid and fanciful daydreaming must occur without substance use no extensive substance use within last six months access to internet.

Maladaptive Daydreaming in Relation to Linguistic Features and Attachment Style

31Dec

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Informative, Research

Maladaptive Daydreaming in Relation to Linguistic Features and Attachment Style

New research paper published Abstract: Background: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is a concept that describes a significant imaginary activity that replaces human engagement and/or interferes with academic, interpersonal, or vocational functioning. We explored the interaction between attachment style, reflective functioning (RF), and the narrative dimension of MD. (2) Methods: 414 adults completed an online survey, including socio-demographic variables, the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Relationship Questionnaire, and Reflective Functioning Questionnaire. Participants were asked to write a short description of the most representative episodes of their daydreams. Eighty-four participants were identified as maladaptive daydreamers (MDers). (3) ...

Understanding the Lived Experience of Maladaptive Daydreaming

31Dec

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Research

Understanding the Lived Experience of Maladaptive Daydreaming

Canterbury Christ Church University dissertation by Amy Lucas Abstract: Section A: Maladaptive Daydreaming (MD) is a distressful phenomenon with limitedunderstanding and recognition, which leads to controversy regarding potentialdiagnostic classification. This literature review systematically investigated researchprioritising the voices and lived experiences of people who identify with MD. Findingsrelate to quality of daydreaming and fantasy content, pervasion and absorption,compensatory fantasy themes, emotional salience in fantasy, dependence, impact onhealth and functioning, secrecy, and challenges with help-seeking. Implications forpractice and future research are discussed.Section B: Fantasy in MD can include both positive and aversive content, yet littleresearch has investigat...

Perceived Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mediates the Association Between Self-quarantine Factors and Psychological Characteristics and Elevated Maladaptive Daydreaming

27Nov

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Informative, Research

Perceived Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic Mediates the Association Between Self-quarantine Factors and Psychological Characteristics and Elevated Maladaptive Daydreaming

New Study Published From the Abstract: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all countries have employed varying degrees of lockdown measures to limit the spread of the infection. Previous studies showed that individuals with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) are affected negatively by the lockdown. In this study, we explored a set of lockdown measures (e.g., self-quarantine) and personal factors (e.g., education, history of depression, and personality traits) that might potentially exacerbate MD experienced during the lockdown period. We also examined whether perceived stress acted as a mediator in the relationship between these factors and MD. During the frst lockdown from April to June, we analyzed data provided by 1083 individuals from the USA, the UK, Italy, and Turke...