Maladaptive daydreaming involves intense, vivid fantasies that can interfere with daily life. Divergent thinking is the ability to generate multiple unique ideas from a single prompt.
This study explores how these concepts relate to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some autistic individuals may experience rich internal fantasy lives, challenging previous notions of limited imagination in ASD.
Understanding these experiences could provide insights into the diverse cognitive profiles and creative potential of autistic people.
West, M. J., Somer, E., & Eigsti, M. (2022). Immersive and maladaptive daydreaming and divergent thinking in autism spectrum disorders. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 42(4), 372. https://doi.org/10.1177/02762366221129819
Key Points
- 42% of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reported experiences consistent with maladaptive daydreaming.
- Maladaptive daydreaming was positively correlated with ASD traits in individuals without an ASD diagnosis.
- Contrary to expectations, divergent thinking was negatively associated with maladaptive daydreaming in the non-ASD sample.
- ASD diagnosis was unrelated to originality in divergent thinking tasks.
- Individuals with ASD showed lower fluency (number of responses) in divergent thinking tasks compared to those without ASD.
- Daydreaming experiences in ASD were diverse, with some individuals reporting rich, immersive daydreams and others reporting limited daydreaming.
- ADHD symptoms were positively correlated with maladaptive daydreaming in the ASD sample.
- The study challenges the notion of limited imaginative capacities in ASD and highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of internal mental experiences in this population.
Rationale
The internal mental experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well understood, despite extensive research on core symptoms and features.
While some studies suggest limited imaginative capacities in ASD (Craig & Baron-Cohen, 1999), others indicate a strong interest in fantasy and unique forms of creative thinking (Gutermuth Anthony et al., 2013; Mazurek & Wenstrup, 2013; Rozema, 2015).
This discrepancy calls for a more nuanced exploration of imagination and creativity in ASD.
Immersive daydreaming, characterized by intense absorption in elaborate mental fantasies, has not been systematically studied in ASD.
This phenomenon may provide insights into the creative capacities and internal experiences of individuals with ASD.
Additionally, the relationship between immersive daydreaming and divergent thinking abilities in ASD remains unexplored.
This study aims to bridge these knowledge gaps by investigating immersive daydreaming experiences in ASD and their connection to divergent thinking abilities.
By exploring these aspects, the research seeks to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mental experiences and creative potential in ASD.
Method
The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative assessments.
Two separate samples were recruited: one from online daydreaming communities and another consisting of adults with confirmed ASD diagnoses.
Participants completed standardized measures of maladaptive daydreaming, ASD traits, ADHD symptoms, and divergent thinking tasks.
Additionally, exploratory questions were used to gather qualitative data on daydreaming experiences.
Procedure
Participants completed an online survey that included demographic information, self-report scales, divergent thinking tasks, and exploratory daydreaming questions.
The order of measures was fixed for all participants. The divergent thinking tasks required participants to generate original uses for common objects and instances of given characteristics within a two-minute time limit.
Sample
Two samples were recruited:
- Daydreaming Community Sample: 544 participants (395 females, 101 males, 48 other) with a mean age of 25 years (SD = 8) from 61 different countries.
- ASD Sample: 223 adults (123 females, 90 males, 10 other) with a mean age of 34 years (SD = 12), recruited through the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) collaborative.
Measures
- Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16)
- Sense of Presence in Daydreaming Scale (SPD)
- Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
- Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1)
- Divergent Thinking Tasks: Alternate Uses and Instances
- Exploratory Daydreaming Questions
Statistical measures
The study employed various statistical analyses, including:
- Partial correlational analyses
- Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses
- Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA)
- Independent-samples t-tests with false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment
Results
Hypothesis 1: Maladaptive daydreaming would be related to ASD traits and divergent thinking originality.
Result: Partially supported. Maladaptive daydreaming was positively correlated with ASD traits but negatively correlated with divergent thinking originality in the daydreaming community sample.
Hypothesis 2: ASD traits and divergent thinking originality would predict maladaptive daydreaming tendencies in the non-ASD sample.
Result: Supported. ASD traits positively predicted maladaptive daydreaming, while divergent thinking originality negatively predicted maladaptive daydreaming.
Hypothesis 3: Originality in divergent thinking would predict maladaptive daydreaming in the ASD sample.
Result: Not supported. Divergent thinking originality did not predict maladaptive daydreaming in the ASD sample.
Hypothesis 4: Individuals with ASD or maladaptive daydreaming would score higher on divergent thinking originality compared to those without either condition.
Result: Not supported. There were no significant differences in divergent thinking originality between groups.
Hypothesis 5: Fluency of responses in divergent thinking tasks would be lower for individuals with ASD compared to those without ASD.
Result: Supported. Individuals with ASD showed lower fluency in divergent thinking tasks compared to those without ASD.
Insight
This study provides several key insights into the relationship between ASD, immersive daydreaming, and divergent thinking:
- Prevalence of immersive daydreaming in ASD: The finding that 42% of adults with ASD reported experiences consistent with maladaptive daydreaming challenges the notion of limited imaginative capacities in ASD. This suggests a more diverse range of internal mental experiences within the ASD population than previously recognized.
- Relationship between ASD traits and daydreaming: The positive correlation between ASD traits and maladaptive daydreaming in the non-ASD sample indicates that certain aspects of ASD may be associated with a tendency towards immersive mental experiences.
- Divergent thinking and daydreaming: The negative association between divergent thinking and maladaptive daydreaming in the non-ASD sample was unexpected. This finding suggests that immersive daydreaming may involve different cognitive processes than those typically associated with divergent thinking tasks.
- Heterogeneity in ASD daydreaming experiences: The study revealed diverse daydreaming experiences among individuals with ASD, ranging from highly immersive to limited daydreaming. This highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of imaginative capacities in ASD.
- Divergent thinking in ASD: The lack of difference in divergent thinking originality between ASD and non-ASD groups, coupled with lower fluency in ASD, suggests that individuals with ASD may have unique creative capacities that are not fully captured by traditional divergent thinking measures.
These findings extend previous research by providing a more comprehensive picture of the internal mental experiences in ASD.
They challenge simplistic views of imagination in ASD and suggest that alternative approaches may be needed to fully understand and assess creativity in this population.
Future research could explore:
- The cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying immersive daydreaming in ASD.
- The potential benefits and drawbacks of immersive daydreaming for individuals with ASD.
- The development of more tailored measures of creativity and imagination for the ASD population.
- The relationship between immersive daydreaming and other aspects of ASD, such as special interests or sensory sensitivities.
Implications
The findings of this study have several important implications for clinical practice and future research:
- Clinical assessment: Clinicians should be aware of the potential for rich imaginative experiences in individuals with ASD. Incorporating questions about daydreaming and internal mental experiences into assessments may provide valuable insights into an individual’s cognitive profile and potential strengths.
- Therapeutic interventions: The prevalence of immersive daydreaming in ASD suggests that this could be a potential avenue for therapeutic interventions. Clinicians could explore ways to harness these imaginative capacities to support social skill development, emotional regulation, or creative expression.
- Educational strategies: Educators working with individuals with ASD should recognize the potential for diverse imaginative experiences. Tailoring teaching methods to incorporate and build upon these internal mental experiences may enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
- Creativity assessment: The study highlights the limitations of traditional divergent thinking tasks in capturing the full range of creative abilities in ASD. Researchers and clinicians should consider developing more comprehensive and ASD-specific measures of creativity that account for the unique cognitive profiles in this population.
- Understanding ASD heterogeneity: The diverse daydreaming experiences observed in the ASD sample contribute to our understanding of the heterogeneity within ASD. This underscores the importance of individualized approaches in both research and clinical practice.
- Challenging stereotypes: These findings challenge stereotypes about limited imagination in ASD and may help reduce stigma by highlighting the rich internal mental lives of individuals on the spectrum.
- Future research directions: The study opens up new avenues for research into the cognitive and neural underpinnings of immersive daydreaming in ASD, as well as its potential role in information processing, emotion regulation, and social understanding.
Strengths
The study had many methodological strengths including:
- Large sample sizes for both the daydreaming community and ASD groups
- Use of validated measures for assessing maladaptive daydreaming, ASD traits, and ADHD symptoms
- Inclusion of both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of daydreaming experiences
- Careful scoring and analysis of divergent thinking tasks, accounting for potential confounds such as fluency
- Consideration of potential confounding variables such as ADHD symptoms
- Use of appropriate statistical analyses, including controlling for demographic variables and adjusting for multiple comparisons
- Inclusion of exploratory questions to gather rich qualitative data on daydreaming experiences
- Comparison of multiple groups (ASD with and without maladaptive daydreaming, non-ASD with and without maladaptive daydreaming) to provide a nuanced understanding of the relationships between ASD, daydreaming, and divergent thinking
Limitations
The study had several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the results:
- Lack of a direct measure for immersive daydreaming: The study relied on the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale as a proxy for immersive daydreaming, which may not fully capture the broader construct of immersive daydreaming.
- Self-report measures: The reliance on self-report measures for ASD traits, ADHD symptoms, and daydreaming experiences may introduce biases and limit the accuracy of the data.
- Online recruitment: The use of online recruitment methods may have led to a selection bias, particularly in the daydreaming community sample, which may not be representative of the general population.
- Cross-sectional design: The study’s cross-sectional nature limits the ability to draw causal conclusions about the relationships between ASD, daydreaming, and divergent thinking.
- Limited assessment of creativity: The study focused primarily on verbal divergent thinking tasks, which may not capture the full range of creative abilities, particularly in individuals with ASD who may excel in other domains.
- Potential confounds: Factors such as intellectual functioning, severity of ASD symptoms, and comorbid mental health conditions were not fully controlled for, which may have influenced the results.
- Cultural bias: The study’s participants were predominantly from Western countries, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other cultural contexts.
These limitations suggest that future research should aim to develop more comprehensive measures of immersive daydreaming, include a wider range of creativity assessments, and consider longitudinal designs to better understand the developmental trajectories of daydreaming and creativity in ASD.
References
Primary reference
West, M. J., Somer, E., & Eigsti, M. (2022). Immersive and maladaptive daydreaming and divergent thinking in autism spectrum disorders. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 42(4), 372. https://doi.org/10.1177/02762366221129819
Other references
Craig, J., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1999). Creativity and imagination in autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 29, 319-326. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022163403479
Anthony, L. G., Kenworthy, L., Yerys, B. E., Jankowski, K. F., James, J. D., Harms, M. B., Martin, A., & Wallace, G. L. (2013). Interests in high-functioning autism are more intense, interfering, and idiosyncratic, but not more circumscribed, than those in neurotypical development. Development and Psychopathology, 25(3), 643. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579413000072
Mazurek, M. O., & Wenstrup, C. (2013). Television, video game and social media use among children with ASD and typically developing siblings. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 43, 1258-1271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1659-9
Rozema, R. (2015). Manga and the autistic mind. English Journal, 60-68.
Keep Learning
Socratic questions for a college class to discuss this paper:
- How might the findings of this study challenge or refine our current understanding of imagination and creativity in autism spectrum disorder?
- What are the potential implications of immersive daydreaming for cognitive development and social functioning in individuals with ASD?
- How might the negative association between divergent thinking and maladaptive daydreaming be explained? What alternative cognitive processes might be involved in immersive daydreaming?
- In what ways could the diversity of daydreaming experiences in ASD inform our understanding of the heterogeneity within the autism spectrum?
- How might we develop more comprehensive and ASD-specific measures of creativity that account for the unique cognitive profiles observed in this population?
- What ethical considerations should be taken into account when studying and potentially utilizing immersive daydreaming experiences in clinical or educational settings for individuals with ASD?
- How might the findings of this study inform the development of strengths-based approaches to supporting individuals with ASD?
- In what ways could future research address the limitations of this study to further our understanding of the relationship between ASD, daydreaming, and creativity?
