title: The daydreamer: Exploring the personality underpinnings of daydreaming styles and their implications for well-being.
abstract: In the present research, we looked at how positive-constructive daydreaming, guilty-dysphoric daydreaming, and poor attentional control associate with both broad (i.e., openness to experience) and specific (i.e., introspection) personality traits. A second aim was to determine how daydreaming styles were associated with psychological well-being. Across four studies, 1081 undergraduate (studies 1, 2, and 4) and MTurk (study 3) participants completed online questionnaires. A fixed-effect meta-analysis revealed that introspection was a significant predictor of both positive and negative daydreaming styles, but not a consistent predictor of poor attentional control. Positive-constructive daydreaming was more strongly associated with personal growth, purpose in life, and positive affect; guilty-dysphoric daydreaming was associated with depressive symptoms, negative affect, and lower psychological well-being, while poor attentional control was associated with lower positive well-being. Although correlational, these results demonstrate the usefulness of examining the experience and content of recurrent daydreaming and mind-wandering styles to further understand well-being.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada. Electronic address: evemarieblouinhudon@cmail.carleton.ca.
authors.forename: Eve-Marie C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Blouin-Hudon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zelenski
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Daydreaming; Introspection; Mind-wandering; Personality; Well-being