Creativity, Emotion Regulation, and Maladaptive Daydreaming

Abstract

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to examine maladaptive daydreaming and the associations with emotion regulation difficulties, creative processes, creative self-efficacy, and creative personal identity. A non-clinical sample of active participants (N = 361) was investigated. A series of Pearson correlations, multivariate, multilinear regressions, and moderation analyses were conducted. The study findings indicated that difficulties with emotion regulation and creative distinct experience process explained 23% of the variance in maladaptive daydreaming. In a smaller sub-sample (n = 146) creative personal identity positively predicted maladaptive daydreaming, but creative self-efficacy was a negative predictor of maladaptive daydreaming. Emotion regulation difficulty was also associated with creative anxiety, whereas a feeling of power and pleasure during the creative process was associated with greater emotion regulation. The findings in this study reinforced the need to cultivate optimal emotion regulation skills, especially in individuals who struggle with compulsive immersive daydreaming. Creative processing skills and optimal emotion regulation strategies may help individuals with maladaptive daydreaming, including increasing their creative achievement and self-efficacy.