ABSTRACT
A long-standing research program has evolved that uses a variety of approaches to study daydreaming and the more general problems of ongoing thought. One whole segment of the research on daydreaming has involved large samples and psychometric procedures, such as factor analysis and related correlational analyses, to study patterns of daydreaming and their correlates in normal populations. Laboratory studies also involve work on eye movements related to daydreaming or consideration of the psychophysiological correlates of thought. A one major focus of daydreaming research has explored relationships between fantasy and the arousal of drives or emotions. More directly related to the fantasy of the young adult have been explorations of the role of imagery and daydreaming in psychotherapy and adaptive behavior. It is increasingly clear that certain uses of imagery or directed fantasy can be helpful in psychotherapy to alleviate fear, reduce stress, or control unwanted behavior by the use of noxious imagery.
