THE ROLE OF ABSORPTION IN EXPERIENTIAL INVOLVEMENT

The authors examined correlates of trait absorption to understand when and how pronounced engagement with attentional objects occurs. In Stu dy 1 (N = 321), absorption and openness to experience were positively correlated (r = .64), and these ''involvement'' constructs were differ entiated from Eysenck's Big 3 (Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoti cism; H. J. Eysenck and M. W. Eysenck, 1985). In Study 2 (N = 68), abs orption was positively correlated with participation in the arts, with effects of art on mood, and with ratings of the importance of art to daily life (ps < .05). Absorption was negatively correlated with speed and positively correlated with productivity of visual figure-ground d ifferentiation and was positively correlated with cross-modal elaborat ive processing (ps < .05). Trait absorption reflects (a) a motivationa l readiness to engage in experiential, noninstrumental functioning and (b) distinctive cognitive capacities to efficiently identify and rich ly elaborate objects of attention.