Maladaptive Daydreaming, Self-Control, and Emotional Eating in University Students: An Escape-Coping Perspective

Abstract

Background and aims: Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) and emotional eating (EE) are both ways of escaping distress, but no study has tested how they relate in university students, or whether self-control matters. We examined whether MD is associated with EE and whether self-control explains variance in EE beyond MD. Methods. In this cross-sectional survey, 150 university students in Pakistan (aged 18–25 years; 64.7% women) were recruited by convenience sampling. They completed the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16), the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), and the Emotional Eating Questionnaire (EEQ). We used Pearson correlations, independent-samples t tests, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results. MD was strongly related to EE (r = .61, 95% CI [.49, .70]). Self-control was negatively related to MD (r = −.33, 95% CI [−.46, −.17]) and to EE (r = −.18, 95% CI [−.33, −.02]). MD alone explained 36.3% of the variance in EE. Adding self-control increased this by 4.4% (p = .001), giving a final R² of .407. Both predictors were significant (MD β = .57; self-control β = −.22). Men and women did not differ. Discussion and conclusions. MD was the strongest correlate of EE, and self-control had a smaller, separate protective link with it. The results fit an escape-coping view in which fantasy and eating in response to emotion are connected. Students who seek help for emotional eating may need to be asked about daydreaming too. Because the data are cross-sectional, causal claims are not possible.