Imagined Interaction Frequency and the Five-Factor Model of Personality

Abstract

Imagined interactions (IIs) are a form of daydream in which an individual imagines a communication interaction with one or more others. One of the most important attributes of II is frequency, a trait variable that measures how often people have imagined interactions. Individual differences in personality have been shown to predict II frequency. This cross-sectional study of N = 104 undergraduates examines the effects of personality, operationalized with the five-factor model, on II frequency. Results indicate that the model overall does predict II frequency. Individually, openness to experience, neuroticism, and conscientiousness are significant predictors of II frequency, but extroversion and agreeableness seem to have little to no effect.