Maladaptive Daydreaming and Regulation of the Behavioural Inhibition and Activation System

The present study investigated individual differences in relation to two neurobiological systems in people who engage in maladaptive daydreaming (MD). Data was collected from 242 self-identifying probable Maladaptive Daydreamers, who satisfied the cut off score of 40 or above on the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16). They were asked to complete the Behavioural Activation and Behavourial Inhibition Scales (BAS/BIS) (BAI-20) and the Short International Personality Item Pool (IPIP – BFM-20). Participants were also asked to disclose any pre-existing mental health conditions. A significant positive relationship was found between MD and the trait of Neuroticism and negative relationships were found between the traits of Conscientiousness, Openness and MD. The BAS Reward Responsiveness subscale appeared to be most prevalent in those who engaged in MD. High levels of BIS also emerged as a significant predictor of MD. No association between MD and existing pre-diagnosed mental health conditions were found. Findings suggest that MD is associated with traits linked to avoidance, emotion regulation and motivational tendencies towards reward seeking. It is important for future studies to continue to explore aetiology from a psychophysiological basis to inform therapeutic interventions.