day dreaming

DaydreamingDaydreaming

D Doan, Brian Gee, Esther Lee, Julie TranD Doan, Brian Gee, Esther Lee, Julie Tran

COGS 175COGS 175

March 5, 2008March 5, 2008

OVERVIEWOVERVIEW

Introduction to daydreaming Introduction to daydreaming (Julie)(Julie)

Content and function (Brian)Content and function (Brian) Developmental changes Developmental changes

(Esther)(Esther) Sleepiness and daydreaming Sleepiness and daydreaming

study (D)study (D)

DEFINITIONDEFINITION

““Daydreaming represents a shift of Daydreaming represents a shift of attention away from some primary attention away from some primary physical or mental task we have set physical or mental task we have set for ourselves, or away from directly for ourselves, or away from directly looking at or listening to something looking at or listening to something in the external environment, toward in the external environment, toward an unfolding sequence of private an unfolding sequence of private responses made to some internal responses made to some internal stimulus.” stimulus.”

-Jerome L. Singer, 1975-Jerome L. Singer, 1975

HISTORYHISTORY

Negative reputation Negative reputation Associated with lazinessAssociated with laziness 1800s – daydreams = self-gratifying 1800s – daydreams = self-gratifying

attempts at "wish fulfillment” (Nelson)attempts at "wish fulfillment” (Nelson) 1950s – parents warned not to let 1950s – parents warned not to let

their children daydreamtheir children daydream 1960s – Singer & Antrobus created 1960s – Singer & Antrobus created

daydream questionnaire called the daydream questionnaire called the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI)Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI)

CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS

Occurs in private worldOccurs in private world Begins spontaneouslyBegins spontaneously Triggered by internal or external Triggered by internal or external

stimuli or cues (Klinger, 1990)stimuli or cues (Klinger, 1990) Deals most often with life Deals most often with life

concernsconcerns Lack of self-awarenessLack of self-awareness Dissociation from wakingDissociation from waking

MAJOR FORMSMAJOR FORMS

1.1. The ongoing The ongoing stream of stream of associationsassociations, interior monologues , interior monologues and occasional elaborated and occasional elaborated fantasies of a spontaneous nature fantasies of a spontaneous nature associated with particular problems associated with particular problems or chains of thoughtor chains of thought

2.2. The repeated, complex The repeated, complex fantasiesfantasies involving self-created, colorful involving self-created, colorful characters who act out evolving characters who act out evolving story linesstory lines

CONTENTCONTENT

Activity-related contentActivity-related content Rehearsal of alternativesRehearsal of alternatives Judgment makingJudgment making

Fantasy-related contentFantasy-related content Exploration of “what might be”Exploration of “what might be”

Freedom from logical Freedom from logical constraintsconstraints

CONTENTCONTENTButler (2006)Butler (2006)

Key structural aspectsKey structural aspects Positive orientationPositive orientation Negative emotional toneNegative emotional tone Mind wanderingMind wandering

FUNCTIONFUNCTION Butler (2006)Butler (2006)

Absorption suggests assignment Absorption suggests assignment of cognitive resourcesof cognitive resources

Engage unconscious processesEngage unconscious processes IntuitionIntuition CreativityCreativity

FUNCTIONFUNCTION

A form of mental processingA form of mental processing Recall of “current” memoriesRecall of “current” memories Resolution of daily issues Resolution of daily issues

Disruption of processingDisruption of processing DepressionDepression Post Traumatic Stress DisorderPost Traumatic Stress Disorder

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGESDEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES

Age affects frequency and Age affects frequency and content of daydreamscontent of daydreams

Giambra (2000)Giambra (2000) 1782 women; 1545 men1782 women; 1545 men 17-95 years old17-95 years old Longitudinal and cross-sectional Longitudinal and cross-sectional

studystudy Imaginal Processes InventoryImaginal Processes Inventory (IPI) (IPI)

Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI)

(Singer & Antrobus, 1970)

DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGESDEVELOPMENTAL CHANGESGiambra (2000)Giambra (2000)

As age increases…As age increases…Daydream frequency Daydream frequency ↓↓Absorption or dominance of Absorption or dominance of

attention attention ↓↓Visual imagery Visual imagery ↓↓

As age increases…As age increases… Problem solving daydreams – little Problem solving daydreams – little

changechange Bizarre-improbable daydreams – Bizarre-improbable daydreams –

U-shaped age functionU-shaped age function


As age increases…As age increases… Decreased daydreaming in the Decreased daydreaming in the

following types:following types: SexualSexual HeroicHeroic Achievement-orientedAchievement-oriented Fear of failureFear of failure HostileHostile GuiltGuilt


DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGESDEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES

What might account for reduced What might account for reduced daydreaming with increased daydreaming with increased age?age? Redirection and reduction of Redirection and reduction of

attentional resourcesattentional resources Biological degradation in the brainBiological degradation in the brain

Possible Suggestive Connections Possible Suggestive Connections betweenbetweenSleep & DaySleep & Daydreamingdreaming Decreases in duration of REM as we Decreases in duration of REM as we

ageage Similar ContentSimilar Content

Life concerns listLife concerns list daydream daydream 65%65% (Gold and Reilly 1985)(Gold and Reilly 1985) ≈ ≈

night dreams night dreams 71%71% ( (Nikles et al, 1998Nikles et al, 1998) )

Auditory imageryAuditory imagery Daydream nearly Daydream nearly 50%50% ( (Klinger 1993Klinger 1993) ) ≈ REM ≈ REM

dream dream 53%(53%(Zadra et al 1998Zadra et al 1998 ) )

Possible Suggestive Connections Possible Suggestive Connections betweenbetweenSleep & DaySleep & Daydreamingdreaming Similar 90 minute cycle to REMSimilar 90 minute cycle to REM

Kripke and Sonnenschein 1978

The Effect of Experimentally The Effect of Experimentally Enhanced Daydreaming on an Enhanced Daydreaming on an Electroencephalographic Electroencephalographic Measure of SleepinessMeasure of Sleepiness

(Pritzl 2003)(Pritzl 2003)

Hypothesis: Daydreaming as Hypothesis: Daydreaming as Restoration similar to sleepRestoration similar to sleep

SLEEPINESS & DAYDREAMING SLEEPINESS & DAYDREAMING

Experimental ParadigmExperimental Paradigm Daydream Prevention vs. Daydream Prevention vs.

Daydream InductionDaydream Induction EEG as index of EEG as index of

sleepiness/sleep deprivation sleepiness/sleep deprivation (theta/alpha ratio)(theta/alpha ratio)


HypothesesHypotheses Enhancement group Enhancement group ↑ ↑

daydreaming than relax groupdaydreaming than relax group Enhancement group Enhancement group ↑ decreases ↑ decreases

in initial level of sleepinessin initial level of sleepiness ill-rested ill-rested ↑ daydream than well-↑ daydream than well-

restedrested those who had more daydreaming those who had more daydreaming

should have should have ↑ reduction in ↑ reduction in sleepinesssleepiness


ResultsResults Hypotheses 1 & 2 were not Hypotheses 1 & 2 were not

supportedsupported Hypothesis 3 supportedHypothesis 3 supported Hypothesis 4 reversedHypothesis 4 reversed those who had more daydreaming those who had more daydreaming

should have should have ↑ reduction in ↑ reduction in sleepiness, but instead had no less sleepiness, but instead had no less reduction in sleepinessreduction in sleepiness

SLEEPINESS & SLEEPINESS & DAYDREAMINGDAYDREAMING

InterpretationInterpretation Daydreaming does not Daydreaming does not

compensate for sleep deprivation, compensate for sleep deprivation, but may be a response to sleep but may be a response to sleep deprivationdeprivation

Is daydreaming an alternate Is daydreaming an alternate state of consciousness?state of consciousness?

Involuntary generationInvoluntary generation Vivid imageryVivid imagery Shift in attentionShift in attention Dissociation from external Dissociation from external

stimulistimuli Similarity to other alternate Similarity to other alternate

states of consciousnessstates of consciousness

REFERENCESREFERENCES

Butler, L. B. (2006). Normative dissociation. The Butler, L. B. (2006). Normative dissociation. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29(1), 45. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29(1), 45.

Giambra, L. (2000). Daydreaming characteristics Giambra, L. (2000). Daydreaming characteristics across the life-span: Age differences and seven to across the life-span: Age differences and seven to twenty year longitudinal changes. (pp. 147)John twenty year longitudinal changes. (pp. 147)John Benjamins Publishing Company. Benjamins Publishing Company.

Klinger, E. (1990). Klinger, E. (1990). DaydreamingDaydreaming. Los Angeles: . Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher. Jeremy P. Tarcher.

Pritzl, T. (2003). The effect of experimentally Pritzl, T. (2003). The effect of experimentally enhanced daydreaming on an enhanced daydreaming on an electroencephalographic measure of sleepiness. electroencephalographic measure of sleepiness.

Singer, J.L. (1975). Singer, J.L. (1975). The inner world of The inner world of daydreamingdaydreaming. New York: Harper & Row. . New York: Harper & Row.

Singer, J.L., & Antrobus, J.S. (1970) Singer, J.L., & Antrobus, J.S. (1970) Manual for the Manual for the Imaginal Processes Inventory. Imaginal Processes Inventory. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton, N.J.: Education Testing Service. Education Testing Service.

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