Fantasy Proneness Research Articles

When is Fantasy Proneness Associated with Distress? An Examination of Two Models

Fantasy prone individuals frequently turn their attention inward, focusing on a rich internal world of imaginary people or stories, vivid memories or dreams, and emotions or sensations cued by internal stimuli. While engaging in fantasy or daydreaming can often be an enjoyable pastime, some research has linked fantasy proneness to heightened psychological distress. The present study of 83 undergraduates utilized 2 models to examine the relationship between fantasy proneness and symptoms of depression, 1 mediated by an avoidant coping style and the other moderated by an external locus of control orientation. Analyses revealed that locus of control did moderate this relationship, with fantasy proneness being more strongly linked to symptoms of depression in those subjects with an external locus of control orientation. Fantasy proneness was not significantly correlated with an avoidant coping style.

Cognitive and Meta-cognitive Dimensions of Psychoses

This paper outlines cognitive approaches to understanding and treating positive psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions, and dissociations. Recent cognitive accounts of psychosis are reviewed along with the claim that it is not the symptoms themselves but cognitive and meta-cognitive appraisals (attributions and beliefs) about the significance of the symptoms that cause distress and dysfunction. Psychotic symptoms do lie on a continuum with normal experience. Cognitive appraisal dimensions may interact with reasoning styles such as inferential confusion, cognitive slippage, fantasy proneness, and perceptual immersion (styles also normally distributed in the population) and together persuade the person with psychosis to live in fictional narratives as if they were real. Recent clinical studies suggest that addressing beliefs about symptoms modifying inferential styles and normalizing experiences may help symptom management.

Generators and Interpretors in a Performing Arts Population: Dissociation, Trauma, Fantasy Proneness, and Affective States

An international sample of 130 working artists was divided into two domains: generators (writers, designers, choreographers, one composer) and interpreters (directors, actors, opera singers, dancers). The correlations between dissociation, trauma experiences, fantasy proneness, and affective states were examined, followed by a regression analysis to predict elevated levels of dissociation. Artists, regardless of creative domain, scored in the moderate range for dissociation and fantasy proneness. Both groups endorsed lower levels of affective variability than a normed group. Interpreters scored significantly higher than generators on total dissociation, absorption/imagination, absorption/changeability, and depersonalization/derealization. Additive factors of younger age, affective states of anger, sadness and spirituality, and higher scores on fantasy proneness and traumatic experiences predicted elevated levels of dissociation, with only sadness predicting pathological dissociative levels on the taxometric Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II) subscale. Given these findings, greater awareness about dissociation and the need for an elaborated model of affect regulation is recommended.

Individual differences in object and spatial imagery: Personality correlates

In the present study, we investigated whether individual differences in object and spatial imagery are correlated with two personality variables, fantasy proneness and dissociation. One hundred and eight undergraduates filled out the Object-Spatial Imagery Questionnaire, the Dissociative Experience Scale, the Creative Experiences Questionnaire, questions on frequency of active role-playing games (RPGs), and the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire. Object, but not Spatial, imagery was related to fantasy proneness and frequency of engagement in live-action RPGs, revealing that this visual style affects broader aspects of people’s life than previously expected. Dissociation did not correlate with either imagery measure. We conclude that object and spatial imagery are different constructs, related to different personality variables, with a specific association between object imagery and fantasy proneness.

Excessive daydreaming: A case history and discussion of mind wandering and high fantasy proneness

This case study describes a patient presenting with a long history of excessive daydreaming which has caused her distress but is not incident to any other apparent clinical psychiatric disorders. We have treated this patient for over 10 years, and she has responded favorably to fluvoxamine therapy, stating that it helps to control her daydreaming. Our patient, and other psychotherpists, have brought to our attention other possible cases of excessive daydreaming. We examine the available literature regarding daydreaming, mind wandering, and fantasy proneness relative to current cognitive and neuroanatomical models of executive attention.

Medidas psicológicas en relación con experiencias alucinatorias y experiencias aparicionales

An apparition is a visual experience in which there appears to be a person or animal present, often in connection with an agent who is dying or undergoing some other crisis. A number of hypotheses were tested: people seeing apparitions and having other apparition-like experiences (experients) have a higher capacity for absorption, fantasy and dissociation proneness, high neuroticism and schizotypy and score higher on three sensory modalities of hallucinatory experience than non-experients. This study demonstrated the viability of adopting a psychological approach in order to better understand the apparitional experience.

Cognitive processes in dissociation: An analysis of core theoretical assumptions.

Dissociation is typically defined as the lack of normal integration of thoughts, feelings, and experiences into consciousness and memory. The present article critically evaluates the research literature on cognitive processes in dissociation. The authors' review indicates that dissociation is characterized by subtle deficits in neuropsychological performance (e.g., heightened distractibility). Some of the cognitive phenomena (e.g., weakened cognitive inhibition) associated with dissociation appear to be dependent on the emotional or attentional context. Contrary to a widespread assumption in the clinical literature, dissociation does not appear to be related to avoidant information processing. Rather, it is associated with an enhanced propensity toward pseudo-memories, possibly mediated by heightened levels of interrogative suggestibility, fantasy proneness, and cognitive failures. Evidence for a link between dissociation and either memory fragmentation or early trauma based on objective measures is conspicuously lacking. The authors identify a variety of methodological issues and discrepancies that make it difficult to articulate a comprehensive framework for cognitive mechanisms in dissociation. The authors conclude with a discussion of research domains (e.g., sleep-related experiences, drug-related dissociation) that promise to advance our understanding of cognition and dissociation.

Fantasy proneness and hypnotizability: another look

AbstractIt has long been theorized that individuals who spend a great deal of time engaged in fantasy and report profound imaginative involvements are highly hypnotizable (see Wilson and Barber, 1981, 1983a). To test this hypothesized link, we administered the Inventory of Childhood Memories and Imaginings (ICMI), the Short Imaginal Processes Inventory (SIPI), a measure of daydreaming frequency and the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (HGSHS:A) to 506 undergraduate students in Study 1. In Study 2, a separate sample of 534 college students completed the ICMI and the HGSHS:A. Across the studies, we obtained a small positive correlation between our measures of fantasy proneness and hypnotizability. Results showed that highly hypnotizable individuals, compared with those who are less hypnotizable, do not spend a great deal of their waking lives engaged in fantasy or daydreaming. Copyright © 2008 British Society of Experimental & Clinical Hypnosis. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Psychological aspects of the alien contact experience

Previous research has shown that people reporting contact with aliens, known as “experiencers”, appear to have a different psychological profile compared to control participants. They show higher levels of dissociativity, absorption, paranormal belief and experience, and possibly fantasy proneness. They also appear to show greater susceptibility to false memories as assessed using the Deese/Roediger–McDermott technique. The present study reports an attempt to replicate these previous findings as well as assessing tendency to hallucinate and self-reported incidence of sleep paralysis in a sample of 19 UK-based experiencers and a control sample matched on age and gender. Experiencers were found to show higher levels of dissociativity, absorption, paranormal belief, paranormal experience, self-reported psychic ability, fantasy proneness, tendency to hallucinate, and self-reported incidence of sleep paralysis. No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of susceptibility to false memories. Implications of the results are discussed and suggestions are made for future avenues of research.

Familiarity breeds distortion: The effects of media exposure on false reports concerning media coverage of the terrorist attacks in London on 7 July 2005

The present experiment investigated whether increased media exposure could lead to an increase in memory distortions regarding a traumatic public event: the explosion of the No. 30 bus in Tavistock Square, London on 7 July 2005. A total of 150 Swedish and 150 UK participants completed a series of questionnaires about their memory of either (i) the aftermath of the explosion, (ii) a non-existent computerised reconstruction of the moment of the explosion, or (iii) non-existent closed circuit television footage of the moment of the explosion. In line with the availability heuristic, UK participants were more likely than Swedish participants to claim to have seen all three types of footage. Furthermore, a sub-sample of UK participants who appeared to have developed false “memories” of seeing the No. 30 bus explode scored significantly higher on measures of dissociation and fantasy proneness than participants who did not develop false “memories”. This experiment provides further support for the role of imaginative processes in the development of false memories.

Interrelación entre disociación, absorción y propensidad a la fantasía con experiencias alucinatorias en poblaciónes no psicóticas

Correlations between dissociation, absorption and fantasy proneness with hallucinatory experiences in healthy population The continuum hypothesis of psychosis suggests that symptoms as well as hallucinations can make part of normal consciousness in the general population. In the present study we examined three factors hypothetically related to hallucinatory experiences: fantasy proneness, psychological absorption and dissociative experiences. We surveyed a sample of 650 university students of both sexes (24% males and 76% females; ages 17-57 years) and found significant differences in absorption (r= .61 p < .001) and ‐although somewhat less‐ fantasy proneness (r= .54; p < .001) and dissociation (r= .55; p < .001) with the total hallucination score. Given the consistency of our findings with regard to absorption, dissociation, and fantasy proneness, we conclude a validation of hallucinatory experiences in the normal population.

Why Dissociation and Schizotypy Overlap

A number of studies have noted that dissociative symptoms (e.g., feelings of derealization, depersonalization, memory complaints, absorption) overlap with the tendency to report psychotic-like experiences (i.e., schizotypy). The question arises as to what may account for the shared variance between dissociation and schizotypy. The present study investigated whether fantasy proneness, cognitive failures, and childhood trauma may jointly explain the dissociation-schizotypy link. To this end, we administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Schizotypal Personality Scale, the Creative Experiences Questionnaire, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to a sample of undergraduates (N = 185). Fantasy proneness, cognitive failures, and childhood trauma together explained substantial part (58%) of the dissociation-schizotypy link. The present study succeeded in explaining a considerate part of the shared variance between dissociation and schizotypy.

Individuals Who Report Being Abducted by Aliens: Investigating the Differences in Fantasy Proneness, Emotional Intelligence and the Big Five Personality Factors

This study explores individual differences in people claiming to have been abducted by aliens. A sample of 26 alien abductee experiencers (AAErs) plus 26 non-AAEr controls completed self-report measures of fantasy proneness, emotional intelligence, and the big five personality factors. Analysis of Covariance controlling of participants' level of educational attainment revealed no group differences in any of the three fantasy sub-scales (the vividness/realism of fantasies, escapist fantasies, and make-believe fantasies), any of the four EI sub-scales (optimism/mood regulation, the appraisal of emotions, social skills, and the utilization of emotions) or in four of the big five personality factors examined. However, AAErs did rate themselves to be more conscientious than controls, possibly in an attempt to portray themselves as trustworthy and reliable witnesses. Implications for the psychological study of alien abduction experiences are discussed.

Interrelationships of Parapsychological Experiences, Dream Recall, and Lucid Dreams in a Survey with Predominantly Spanish Participants

Previous questionnaire studies of parapsychological experiences have found significant interrelations between the experiences in question and dream experiences. In this study we present a replication of these relationships using a nationality of participants neglected in previous studies, a predominantly Spanish sample. A questionnaire was published in a Spanish New Age magazine. Four hundred and ninety-two questionnaires were received. Most of the parapsychological experiences correlated significantly and positively with each other and with dream recall and lucid dream frequency (Bonferroni-corrected). The results are consistent with the idea discussed in terms of boundary thinness, dissociation, and fantasy proneness that there is a disposition, or openness in some individuals to have or to believe they have had seemingly parapsychological experiences.

The Dissociative Experiences Taxon Is Related to Fantasy Proneness

Some authors have argued that nonpathological dissociation should be distinguished from a taxon form of pathological dissociation, which is indexed by the Dissociative Experiences Scale Taxon (DES-T). We tested to what extent DES-T scores are independent from fantasy immersion and whether DES-T scores are uniquely related to trauma self-reports. To this end, subsamples of undergraduate students (n = 930), healthy adults (n = 20), schizophrenic patients (n = 22), borderline personality disordered patients (n = 20), patients with mood disorder without psychosis (n = 19), and women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (n = 55) completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale and a measure of fantasy immersion. DES-T scores were related to absorption and fantasy immersion to a lesser extent than the original DES. However, the fact that nontrivial percentages within all groups, except for the healthy adults, were classified as taxon members casts doubts on the assumption that DES-T is a reliable index of pathological dissociation. Also, we found that the DES-T was not exclusively related to reports of childhood sexual abuse.

Emotional Creativity, Alexithymia, and Styles of Creativity

ABSTRACT Averill's Emotional Creativity Inventory (ECI) was correlated (n = 322) with self-report measures of creative capacity, alexithymia, fantasy proneness, and styles of creativity in everyday life. Two sets of findings suggest an overlap between the emotional and cognitive aspects of creativity: (a) a principal components analysis of the 3 ECI subscales, the creative capacity, and the fantasy proneness measures revealed 1 factor with high loading on all 5 measures; and (b) the pattern of correlations of the different creative capacity measures with styles of creativity were similar. As expected, the ECI and its subscales correlated with a measure of fantasy proneness and negatively correlated with a measure alexithymia. Earlier findings of the relationship between the measures of creative capacity, fantasy proneness, and styles of creativity were replicated and extended to the ECI.

Dissociation, memory commission errors, and heightened autonomic reactivity

If dissociative symptoms are manifestations of a psychological defense mechanism, one would expect people who have such symptoms to react with lower levels of physiological arousal and with memory omissions to emotionally provocative material. The current study tested this assumption in a sample of undergraduates. Sixty-two undergraduate students viewed a highly emotional video fragment. Pearson's product–moment correlations were calculated between dissociation (as indexed by the Dissociative Experiences Scale, DES) and all dependent measures. High dissociators exhibited elevated skin conductance responses (SCRs) to the fragment. Memory for the video fragment was then tested. While omission errors were unrelated to dissociation, high dissociators exhibited a tendency to produce commission errors. This could not be explained by a reduced working memory capacity. However, fantasy proneness was found related to high dissociators' commission errors. Thus, it seems that a pattern of heightened emotional reactivity and commission errors is typical for people with elevated dissociation scores. This pattern is difficult to reconcile with the defensive function ascribed to dissociation.

Hypnotizability, Eating Behaviors, Attitudes, and Concerns: A Literature Survey

The literature suggests that aspects of hypnotizability may be involved in the etiology and maintenance of self-defeating eating. However, interpretation of the published research findings has been complicated by the use of instruments that appear to have measured different or, at best, only related facets of the underlying constructs. This article reports relationships between weight, shape, dietary concerns, hypnotizability, dissociative capacity, and fantasy proneness. Implications for a key role for hypnosis in the treatment of eating behaviors, attitudes, and concerns are discussed.

Belief in psychic ability and the misattribution hypothesis: A qualitative review

This paper explores the notion that people who believe in psychic ability possess various psychological attributes that increase the likelihood of them misattributing paranormal causation to experiences that have a normal explanation. The paper discusses the structure and measurement of belief in psychic ability, then reviews the considerable body of work exploring the relationship between belief in psychic ability, and academic performance, intelligence, critical thinking, probability misjudgement and reasoning, measures of fantasy proneness and the propensity to find correspondences in distantly related material. Finally, the paper proposes several possible directions for future research, including: the need to build a multi-causal model of belief; to address the issue of correlation versus causation; to resolve the inconsistent pattern of findings present in many areas; and to develop a more valid, reliable and fine-grained measure of belief in psychic ability.

Assassination of a controversial politician: remembering details from another non‐existent film

AbstractWe asked undergraduate students (N = 83) if they had seen non‐existent video footage of the assassination of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, and whether they could remember details of this footage. Sixty‐three percent of the participants indicated they had seen the footage, and 23% were able to provide details of this footage. Participants with ‘memories’ of the non‐existent footage had higher fantasy proneness scores than those who could not remember this footage. Results underscore the malleability of our autobiographical memory. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.