About the study

Researchers conducted two separate studies to examine how curiosity and anxiety both play a part in how (and when) we daydream.

In the first study, they surveyed 260 students to find out about their daydreaming habits, their curiosity type, and their anxiety levels. They found that people with anxiety were more likely to drift off into daydreams without being able to control the mind’s wandering.

The second study looked more closely at diversive curiosity (the type of curiosity that leads people to be interested in a wide range of subjects). Similarly, the study found that people who were more curious about diverse topics found themselves daydreaming both on purpose and by accident more frequently. In individuals with anxiety, the levels of accidental daydreaming were higher.

Can't stop daydreaming? A new study suggests it might actually be linked to anxiety