Nightmare Proneness Predicts Nightmare Frequency Incrementally Over Neuroticism and Distress
William E. Kelly, Richard C. Zamora, Soeun Park
Sleep Science March 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1787532 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 230 |
| Population | University students |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Nightmare proneness incrementally predicted nightmare frequency above and beyond neuroticism and distress. |
Abstract
Abstract Introduction Previous research found that nightmare proneness, a purported disposition to experience frequent nightmares, accounted for nightmare frequency independent of neuroticism and distress. However, these findings may have been the result of reduced reliability and content validity of the measures. The current study aimed to replicate these findings using established, lengthier measures of neuroticism and distress.
Materials and Methods: In the present cross-sectional study, 230 university students completed measures of nightmare frequency, nightmare proneness, neuroticism, and distress.
Results: Regression models found that nightmare proneness incrementally predicted nightmare frequency above neuroticism and distress. Additional analyses indicated that neuroticism and distress indirectly predicted nightmare frequency through nightmare proneness, whereas nightmare proneness was not associated with nightmares through neuroticism or distress.
Conclusion: Nightmare proneness was statistically separable from neuroticism and distress. The results and suggestions for future research to better understand the nightmare proneness variable are discussed.
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
Cites 6
- Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives Journal of Sleep Research January 29, 2019
- The Nightmare Proneness Scale: A Proposed Measure for the Tendency to Experience Nightmares Sleep and Hypnosis August 14, 2017
- Facets of The Nightmare Proneness Scale and Their Relationships to Nightmares, Negative Affect, and Psychological Distress Sleep and Hypnosis 2020
- Taking Heart: Cardiac Symptoms and Nightmares Differentiate Nightmare Proneness and Psychological Distress among Young Adults. Sleep Science March 1, 2023
- Convergent, Discriminant, and Incremental Validity of the Nightmare Proneness Scale Dreaming March 1, 2019
and 1 more in the library