The Relationship Among Self-Reported Aggression, Locus of Control, Expectancy for Success, and Dream Content
Stephen James McCullough
ODU Digital Commons 1995 DOI: 10.25777/rzrf-g797 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 83 |
| Population | College students from two universities in Virginia who reported five or more dreams over three weeks |
| Duration | Three weeks of dream recording |
| Measures | Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale, Internal Control Index, Conflict Tactics Scale, Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, Hall and Van de Castle dream content analysis system, Gaillard and Phelippeau dream content analysis system |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Several dream content categories from the Hall and Van de Castle and Gaillard and Phelippeau systems were significantly correlated with each other, indicating overlap between the systems. However, contrary to expectation, dream content was largely unrelated to personality measures, and the authors conclude that a direct relationship between specific dream content categories and specific personality variables was not identified. |
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between elements of two dream content analysis systems, and between dream content variables and self-report measures. One hundred and five college students from two universities in Virginia completed the following self-report measures: Generalized Expectancy for Success Scale (Fibel & Hale, 1978), Internal Control Index (Duttweiler, 1984), Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, 1979), Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (Infante & Wigley, 1986), and Brief Symptom Inventory (Derogatis & Spencer, 1982). They recorded any dreams they could remember over the subsequent three weeks in a dream journal. Only the data of participants who reported five or more dreams were included (n = 83). Dream content was analyzed using Hall and Van de Castle's (1966) and Gaillard and Phelippeau's (1977) dream content analysis systems. Hall and Van de Castle's Successful Dream Outcome was significantly correlated with Gaillard and Phelippeau's Active Control. Hall and Van de Castle's Verbal Aggressive Interactions was significantly correlated with Gaillard and Phelippeau's Verbal Aggressiveness and Physical Aggressiveness. Hall and Van de Castle's Physical Aggressive Interactions was significantly correlated with Gaillard and Phelippeau's Physical Aggressiveness. The Verbal Aggressiveness Scale was significantly correlated with Gaillard and Phelippeau's Physical Aggressiveness. Contrary to expectation, other dream content was unrelated to personality measures. Several unanticipated correlations were obtained. There appears to be considerable overlap between some aspects of Hall and Van de Castle's and Gaillard and Phelippeau's systems. The results fail to identify a direct relationship between specific dream content categories and specific personality variables. This relationship may not exist, or may be less direct, involving combinations of dream content variables.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... | 2009 | Observational study | n = 6 |
| Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years | 2002 | Prospective observational study | n = 116 |
| Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... | 1987 | Case-control study | n = 11 |
| The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 147 |
| Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |