Correlates of Dream Recall: Implications for Confabulation
Imagination, Cognition and Personality October 1, 2014 DOI: 10.2190/ic.34.2.e (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Two-experiment correlational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 266 |
| Population | Participants recruited online (Experiment 1) and in-person (Experiment 2) |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | The personality profile associated with dream recall (openness, thin boundaries, fantasy-proneness) is linked to confabulation, not to accurate autobiographical memory, suggesting dream recall reflects constructive memory processes. |
Abstract
This investigation aimed to characterize the personality profile of dream-recallers using a psychometrically-validated measure of dream remembering (the MED-Q) (Horton & Conway, 2009), and considered these relationships in terms of confabulation: the tendency to confuse reality with imaginings and thus create false memories. In Experiment 1, 221 participants completed the MED-Q and a battery of personality measures online. The MED-Q significantly correlated with personality dimensions such as openness, thin boundaries, and fantasy-proneness, reinforcing previous findings. Experiment 2 involved participants ( N = 45) recalling a previously-read story, providing measures of true recall and confabulation. A significant relationship was found between the MED-Q (“Awareness of dreaming” factor) and confabulation, but not with other memory scores. Thus, the personality profile described in Experiment 1 gives rise to a tendency to confabulate, reflect upon or rehearse personal memories, as opposed to improving the recall of autobiographical memories, which in turn may lead to an increased awareness of dreaming (Experiment 2). This not only reinforces the overlap between dreaming and constructive autobiographical memory processes, but also acts as a warning to interpret freely recalled dreams with substantial caution.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep Selected subjects proficient in lucid dreaming | 1981 | Experimental study | n = 5 |
| Incorporation of concern- and nonconcern-related verbal stimuli into dream content. Seven male subjects studied during sleep Stages 2 and REM | 1981 | Experimental study | n = 7 |
| Lucid Dreaming and Alpha Activity: A Preliminary Report Good dream recallers | 1982 | Experimental study | n = 10 |
| Lucid dreaming during NREM sleep: Two case reports | 2012 | Sleep laboratory study | |
| The Dream Catcher experiment: blinded analyses failed to detect markers of dreaming consciousness in EEG spectral power. Human participants during sleep | 2020 | Experimental study with blinded classification | n = 9 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 14
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and 9 more in the library