Dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic: Support for the threat simulation function of dreams

Noor H. Abbas; David R. Samson

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1124772

Dreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic: Support for the threat simulation function of dreams

Noor H. Abbas, David R. Samson

Frontiers in Psychology February 6, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1124772 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Observational study Peer reviewed
Sample size	24
Population	Undergraduate students
Topics	Dreaming
Keywords	Dream Social support Contrast vision Developmental psychology
Citations	6
Key findings	Dreams were more negative and featured more unfamiliar individuals compared to waking life, supporting the threat simulation function of dreams.

Abstract

Evolutionary theories suggest that dreams function as a world simulator of events that maximizes our ability to surmount social and threat-related challenges critical to survivorship and reproduction. Here, in contrast to the incorporation continuity hypothesis, we test the (1) social bias hypothesis, which states that dreams will overrepresent positive social interactions relative to waking life, (2) the mutually exclusive threat bias hypothesis, the idea that dream content will be negative relative to waking life, (3) the strengthening hypothesis, which states that dreams will rehearse more positive interactions with individuals the self is familiar with relative to waking life, and (4) the compensation hypothesis, which states that social contents in dreams increases during periods of social seclusion. Dream ( n = 168) and wake ( n = 184) reports were collected through a standardized online survey from 24 undergraduate students. Recalls were analyzed using the Social Content Scale. Generalized linear mixed effects models were used, and the following fixed-effects were considered for the study; the number of reports contributed, report state, biological sex, stress, social support, and media exposures. Results showed support for the threat bias hypothesis, we found that dreams were more negative and featured more unfamiliar individuals in contrast to waking life. Additionally, we found partial support for the social bias and the strengthening hypotheses, however no support was shown for the compensation hypothesis. Overall, these results demonstrate support for the threat simulation function of dreams.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on dreaming, most cited first.

Study	Year	Design	Participants
Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye...	2009	Observational study	n = 6
Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years	2002	Prospective observational study	n = 116
Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with...	1987	Case-control study	n = 11
The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams	2004	Observational cohort	n = 147
Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects	2018	Observational cohort	n = 14

Citations in the library

Cited by 5

Cites 30

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