Disclosing Daydreams versus Real Experiences: Attitudes, Emotional Reactions, and Personality Correlates

Abstract

Clinical observations and anecdotal reports suggest that many people are more reluctant to disclose daydreams than thematically similar real past events. Two studies of daydream disclosures examined choices to disclose daydreams versus real experiences, imagined emotional and attitudinal reactions to such disclosures, the effects on these of experimentally varied thematic content and mood, and personality correlates. In a realistic choice situation, 79% of participants preferred to disclose real experiences versus 14% to disclose daydreams. Imagining disclosing daydreams evoked more negative emotions than imagining disclosing similar real events, and this was moderated by theme and mood. Those who felt less distressed after revealing daydreams as compared with past experiences scored lower on trait measures of negative emotionality, higher on positive emotionality, and lower on rumination.