This study compared daydreaming to fantasies used for self-comfort at
times of stress in order to assess the degree of overlap in content be
tween the two types of fantasy and to determine what types of daydream
s are associated with indices of psychopathology. One hundred nineteen
college undergraduates completed the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire
(Zelin et al., 1983) and the Imaginal Processes Inventory (Singer & A
ntrobus, 1972), along with five general measures of maladjustment, whi
ch reflect ideational deviance, low or unstable self-concept, and reli
ance upon regressive defenses. The results supported the hypotheses of
considerable overlap in content and of parallels between the two type
s of fantasy. Three IPI scales - Fear Reaction, Bizarre, and Hostile-w
ere observed to be particularly linked to psychopathology.