Explaining the gender difference in nightmare frequency.

Women tend to report nightmares more frequently than men, a difference that emerges around age 10. A study in an unselected student sample found that two factors mediate this gender difference: neuroticism and overall dream recall frequency. The effect of neuroticism and the age of emergence suggest that gender-specific socialization processes may play an important role. Previous findings linking nightmare frequency to sex role orientation support this idea, but longitudinal studies are needed to validate these hypotheses.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A recent meta-analysis showed a robust gender difference in nightmare frequency of medium effect size in adolescents and young adults: Women tend to report nightmares more frequently than men. The present study, carried out in an unselected student sample, indicates that 2 factors mediate the gender difference in nightmare frequency: neuroticism and overall dream recall frequency. The effect of neuroticism on the gender difference and the finding that the gender difference in nightmare frequency emerges at an age of about 10 years suggest that gender-specific socialization processes may play an important role in explaining the gender differences in nightmare frequency in adolescents and young to middle-aged adults. This idea is supported by the previous finding that nightmare frequency is related to sex role orientation. However, longitudinal studies are necessary to validate these hypotheses.