Maladaptive Daydreaming in Relation to Linguistic Features and Attachment Style

Rachele Mariani, Alessandro Musetti, Cinzia Di Monte, Kerri Danskin, Christian Franceschini and Christopher Christian
Additional contact information
Rachele Mariani: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies “Sapienza”, University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Musetti: Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Cinzia Di Monte: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies “Sapienza”, University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, 00185 Rome, Italy
Kerri Danskin: Licensed Psychologist in Private Practice, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
Christian Franceschini: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy
Christopher Christian: Department of Psychology, City College, City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: (1) 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) Results: A set of t -tests between MDers and non-MDers group showed differences in attachment dimensions, RF, and linguistic measures. A linear regression model with Global Severity Index (GSI) of the revised Symptom Checklist-90 as the dependent variable, and psychological scales as independent variables showed that the MD score was the strongest predictor of GSI. Regarding differences between the two groups in linguistic measures, the MDers showed more use of reflection and sensory-somatic words, and a smaller number of affective words. (4) Conclusions: These results support the idea that the MD is a process connected to psychopathological mechanisms, probably to a sub-symbolic activation, and to dysfunctional self–other relational patterns that are difficult to integrate.

Keywords: maladaptive daydreamers; attachment; linguistic measures; multiple code theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/386/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/386/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2021:i:1:p:386-:d:714626

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().