Mind Wandering and Apperception: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The present study explores the possibility of mind wandering content analysis as an effective tool for understanding the components of personality like desires, conflicts, emotions and defenses. Here the researcher intends to analyze five participants’ content of mind wandering and compare it with the results of the Thematic Apperception Test.Purposive sampling technique was used to collect data. The participants completed the procedures for the mind wandering experiment and Thematic Apperception Test as prescribed in the manual. The data from these participants have been analyzed and interpreted The results obtained from the two techniques were parallel in more than one area. Desires or needs and conflicts have the most similarity and is very prominent whereas defenses have the least similarity and is the least prominent. Thus Mind Wandering Content Analysis as Thematic Apperception Test can be a swift and effective method to better and quicker understand the desires, needs and conflicts of an individual which facilitate an overall understanding of a personality.