Nightmares, dreams, and schizotypy.
G Claridge, K Clark, C Davis
British Journal of Clinical Psychology September 1, 1997 DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1997.tb01245.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | General population sample |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Cognitive schizotypy (STA) was the best predictor of nightmare distress, while other psychosis-proneness measures like anhedonia were unrelated; sex and sex roles also significantly influenced nightmare distress. |
Abstract
The theory that psychosis and dreaming share some common underlying mechanism finds support in the observation that chronic nightmare sufferers are at increased risk for psychopathology. We examined this connection in a large general population sample, administering a battery of psychosis proneness and other personality scales, together with a nightmare distress scale; participants also answered a single question on pleasurable mood associated with dreaming. In addition, they completed the Bem Sex Role Inventory, to reinvestigate previously observed gender differences in nightmare susceptibility. It was found that, among the psychosis proneness scales, the best predictor of nightmare distress was STA, a mostly cognitive measure of schizotypy; this was true even after allowing for a strong influence in the data of general neuroticism. Other aspects of psychosis proneness--e.g. anhedonia--were unrelated to nightmares. However, sex and sex role differences did make a significant contribution, self-confessed feminine females and masculine males reporting, respectively, the highest and lowest nightmare distress. For schizotypy it was further shown that relationships were not confined to the nightmare experience; high (STA) schizotypes also significantly more often reported enjoyable dreaming. It was concluded that a unifying theme explaining the data is the schizotype's greater imaginativeness, which can have both positive and negative expression in sleep and consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in a College Student Sample Undergraduate students at a large, public university in the southeastern United States | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional survey | n = 583 |
| Prevalence and Correlates of Frequent Nightmares: A Community-Based 2-Phase Study Middle-aged Hong Kong Chinese adults from the community, mean age 40.9 years (SD 5.5,... | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey with subsequent clinical evaluation (two-phase design) | n = 8,558 |
| Factors of home dream recall: a structural equation model Adults (general population sample) | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey with structural equation modeling | n = 444 |
| The Phenomenology of Lucid Dreaming: An Online Survey Respondents to an online survey about lucid dreams | 2014 | Online survey | n = 684 |
| Frequency of Lucid Dreaming in a Representative German Sample Representative sample of German adults | 2011 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 919 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 24
- Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Sleep 2002
- The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Journal of Sleep Research May 26, 2004
- The threat simulation theory in light of recent empirical evidence: A review The American Journal of Psychology April 1, 2009
- Childhood sleep disturbance and risk of psychotic experiences at 18: UK birth cohort The British Journal of Psychiatry May 8, 2015
- “Dark Nights of the Soul”: Phenomenology and Neurocognition of Spiritual Suffering in Mysticism and Psychosis Review of General Psychology September 1, 2007
and 19 more in the library