Dream Recall Frequency by Socioeconomic Status of Chinese Students

Dream recall frequency does not differ significantly across socioeconomic status in a sample of 612 Chinese students from elite, intermediate, and rural schools. Earlier studies had suggested higher socioeconomic status was linked to more frequent dream recall, but this analysis found no such association. The authors suggest future research could explore whether "dream socialization"—such as encouraging children to remember dreams—varies by socioeconomic background and is influenced by culture.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Whereas the effect of sex and age on dream recall have been studied widely, socioeconomic status has rarely been investigated. However, two studies reported that higher socioeconomic status was related to greater frequency of dream recall. In the present sample of 612 Chinese students from three different schools, one elite (high socioeconomic status), one rural (low socioeconomic status) and one intermediate, analysis of variance indicated no significant association between frequency of dream recall and socioeconomic status. Researchers could investigate whether “dream socialization,” e.g., encouragement of a child to remember his dreams, depends on socioeconomic background, whether these processes are mediated by culture.