Daydreaming in the adolescent years: instrument development, factor analysis, and sex differences

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• The Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI) was originally developed for college students to assess daydreaming.
• Adolescent daydreaming patterns and their psychological correlates require further investigation.
• A validated instrument is needed to study daydreaming in high school populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To revise the Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI) for use with high school students.
• To examine the reliability and validity of the revised IPI in a diverse adolescent sample.
• To identify potential sex differences in daydreaming among high school students.

Main Methods:

• The Revised Imaginal Processes Inventory (IPI) included 19 of the original 28 scales with a modified response format.
• A racially diverse sample of 181 ninth through eleventh graders completed the self-report instrument.
• Factor analysis was used to compare the factor structures with previous studies.

Main Results:

• The Revised IPI demonstrated reliable application in the high school student population.
• Significant sex differences emerged: females reported greater acceptance of daydreaming, while males reported more guilt and fear.
• High school students exhibited higher overall daydreaming levels and less uncontrolled mind-wandering compared to college students.

Conclusions:

• The Revised IPI is a reliable tool for assessing daydreaming in adolescents.
• Daydreaming instrument research should consider sex differences in personality and emotional responses.
• Daydreaming data holds potential for therapeutic interventions in adolescent mental health.