{"id":{"repo_id":"utc","oai_identifier":"oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2136"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/utc/oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-2136","repository":{"repo_id":"utc","name":"University of Tennessee - Chattanooga","base_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"The effects of stressful life experiences and maladaptive daydreaming on selective attention among young adults","abstract":"Adverse childhood (ACEs) and adult (AAEs) experiences have been connected to negative psychological and physical consequences. ACEs have been associated with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and impairments in selective attention (SA). Less is known about AAEs on selective attention and MD in adults. This study aimed to address gaps in the literature using a sample of 177 adults aged 18 and 30 who were assessed for ACEs, AAEs, and MD. Participants’ SA was assessed through an emotional Stroop test. ACEs and AAEs were both positively associated with MD, as well as with increased reaction times in the Emotional Stroop. There was an indirect effect of ACEs on total reaction time through MD. High levels of MD moderated the relationship between AAEs and SA by decreasing reaction times. Findings suggest a complex mechanism in the relationship between adverse life experiences, MD, and selective attention.","abstract_html":"Adverse childhood (ACEs) and adult (AAEs) experiences have been connected to negative psychological and physical consequences. ACEs have been associated with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and impairments in selective attention (SA). Less is known about AAEs on selective attention and MD in adults. This study aimed to address gaps in the literature using a sample of 177 adults aged 18 and 30 who were assessed for ACEs, AAEs, and MD. Participants’ SA was assessed through an emotional Stroop test. ACEs and AAEs were both positively associated with MD, as well as with increased reaction times in the Emotional Stroop. There was an indirect effect of ACEs on total reaction time through MD. High levels of MD moderated the relationship between AAEs and SA by decreasing reaction times. Findings suggest a complex mechanism in the relationship between adverse life experiences, MD, and selective attention.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Colpo, Claudia"],"institution":"University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Arnold, Tomorrow D.","Walker, Ruth H.; Howell, Ashley N.","College of Arts and Sciences"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:21Z","subjects":["Psychic trauma","Adult child abuse victims"],"languages":["English","eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/957","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Arnold, Tomorrow D.","Walker, Ruth H.; Howell, Ashley N.","College of Arts and Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Colpo, Claudia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2024-08-01T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"]},{"key":"dc:relation","label":"Dc Relation","values":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Masters theses","Text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Psychic trauma","Adult child abuse victims"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/957"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Dept. of Psychology","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Adverse childhood (ACEs) and adult (AAEs) experiences have been connected to negative psychological and physical consequences. ACEs have been associated with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and impairments in selective attention (SA). Less is known about AAEs on selective attention and MD in adults. This study aimed to address gaps in the literature using a sample of 177 adults aged 18 and 30 who were assessed for ACEs, AAEs, and MD. Participants’ SA was assessed through an emotional Stroop test. ACEs and AAEs were both positively associated with MD, as well as with increased reaction times in the Emotional Stroop. There was an indirect effect of ACEs on total reaction time through MD. High levels of MD moderated the relationship between AAEs and SA by decreasing reaction times. Findings suggest a complex mechanism in the relationship between adverse life experiences, MD, and selective attention."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The effects of stressful life experiences and maladaptive daydreaming on selective attention among young adults"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Arnold, Tomorrow D.","Walker, Ruth H.; Howell, Ashley N.","College of Arts and Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Colpo, Claudia"],"dc:date":["2024-08-01T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description":["Dept. of Psychology","M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science."],"dc:description.abstract":["Adverse childhood (ACEs) and adult (AAEs) experiences have been connected to negative psychological and physical consequences. ACEs have been associated with maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and impairments in selective attention (SA). Less is known about AAEs on selective attention and MD in adults. This study aimed to address gaps in the literature using a sample of 177 adults aged 18 and 30 who were assessed for ACEs, AAEs, and MD. Participants’ SA was assessed through an emotional Stroop test. ACEs and AAEs were both positively associated with MD, as well as with increased reaction times in the Emotional Stroop. There was an indirect effect of ACEs on total reaction time through MD. High levels of MD moderated the relationship between AAEs and SA by decreasing reaction times. Findings suggest a complex mechanism in the relationship between adverse life experiences, MD, and selective attention."],"dc:identifier":["https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/957"],"dc:language":["English","eng"],"dc:publisher":["University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","Chattanooga (Tenn.)"],"dc:relation":["Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations"],"dc:rights":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Psychic trauma","Adult child abuse victims"],"dc:title":["The effects of stressful life experiences and maladaptive daydreaming on selective attention among young adults"],"dc:type":["Masters theses","Text"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:47:21Z"}