Age changes in dream recall in adulthood.
Leonard M. Giambra, Rex E. Jung, Alicia Grodsky
Dreaming March 1, 1996 DOI: 10.1037/h0094443 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Longitudinal Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 2,328 |
| Population | Adults aged 17 to 92 years |
| Duration | Longitudinal follow-up of 6 to 8 years |
| Measures | Night Dreaming Scale of the Imaginal Processes Inventory |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 62 |
| Key findings | Fewer dreams were recalled with increasing age in a cross-sectional sample of 2,328 people, with women recalling more dreams and showing a less rapid decline than men. Longitudinal changes in 333 people over 6 to 8 years were not wholly consistent with the cross-sectional age differences. The authors report a large reduction in recalled dreams in senescence, beginning well before old age. |
Abstract
Dream recall was measured retrospectively with the Night Dreaming Scale of the Imaginal Processes Inventory. Evidence supports a high degree of correspondence among methods which assess dreaming frequency. A cross-sectional sample (17-92 years old, n = 2328) found fewer dreams recalled with increasing age. Women recalled more dreams and showed a less rapid decrease in frequency than men. Longitudinal changes (n = 333) over 6 to 8 years were not wholly consistent with cross-sectional age differences. We found many fewer recalled dreams in senescence. However, the reduction in recalled dreams began well before senescence. Explanations based on dream saliency, long- and short-term memory failure, levels of REM sleep, and degree of spontaneous information processing were considered.