Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) in an Italian Sample

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) involves excessive fantasy replacing real-life interactions and causing functional impairment.
• Understanding the nomological network and psychometric properties of MD assessment tools is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the nomological network of maladaptive daydreaming.
• To examine the psychometric properties of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) in an Italian sample.
• To establish the validity and reliability of the MDS-16 for assessing MD.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 468 Italian adults (333 volunteers, 135 self-diagnosed MD).
• Participants completed the 16-item Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16).
• Psychometric analyses included reliability, exploratory factor analysis, and correlational analyses with other psychological measures.

Main Results:

• The MDS-16 demonstrated good internal reliability and a theoretically consistent 2-factor structure (interference with life, sensory-motor retreat).
• MDS-16 scores were significantly associated with global psychopathology, trauma, personality features, alexithymia, dissociation, shame, and anxious attachment.
• A cutoff score of 51 on the MDS-16 effectively discriminated between self-diagnosed MD cases and non-cases.

Conclusions:

• The MDS-16 is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing maladaptive daydreaming in Italian populations.
• The findings support the construct validity of MD and its association with various psychological difficulties.
• The MDS-16 can be utilized in clinical and research settings to identify and study individuals with maladaptive daydreaming.