Big-Five personality traits and dream experiences: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Jai Marin, Noah Thomas, Lan Nguyen, Jared Walters
Dreaming March 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1037/drm0000336 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 65,474 |
| Population | Participants from 89 studies on personality and dreaming |
| Key findings | Neuroticism consistently predicted nightmare frequency, intensity, distress, proneness, and heightened emotional tone in general/neutral dreams. Openness broadly linked to cognitive-perceptual engagement (recall, vividness, intensity, attitudes, sharing) and weakly to lucid dreaming. Extraversion narrowly related to dream sharing; agreeableness and conscientiousness showed inconsistent associations. |
Abstract
Dreams represent a universal human experience linked to emotional regulation, memory processing, and psychological well-being, yet the extent to which stable personality traits shape dream experiences remains unclear. Previous reviews have either focused narrowly on nightmares or examined general sleep-related patterns, leaving questions about the broader role of personality in dreaming unresolved. This meta-analytic investigation synthesized evidence from 89 studies across 86 articles (comprising 65,474 participants) to examine associations between the Big-Five personality traits and nocturnal dream phenomena, including general/neutral dreams, nightmares, and lucid dreams. Déjà rêvé, erotic dreams, and sleep paralysis were also included, though limited studies explored these phenomena precluding analyses into these domains. Neuroticism yielded consistent associations with nightmare frequency, intensity, distress, proneness, and with heightened emotional tone in general/neutral dreams. Openness was broadly linked to cognitive–perceptual engagement, encompassing greater dream recall, vividness, intensity, attitudes, sharing, and a weak positive association with lucid dreaming. Extraversion was narrowly related to socially expressive dimensions including dream sharing, whereas Agreeableness and Conscientiousness yielded inconsistent associations. These findings support continuity models in which affective vulnerability and cognitive–perceptual orientation shape dream experiences. They also emphasize the applied significance of dreaming as a meaningful psychological domain. Nightmares may provide accessible markers of affective dysregulation and potential intervention targets, whereas openness-related engagement with dreams may be harnessed as a resource for creativity, reflection, and well-being. By situating dreaming within the framework of personality research, this study advances theoretical understanding and highlights practical opportunities for integrating dream research into clinical and educational contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)