Characteristics of Dream Recall: the Dreamer and His Dreams.

Abstract

o n a li t y , dream c o n te n t, and memory o f s u b je c ts c l a s s i f i e d as low and high r e c a l l e r s of dreams were te s t e d on the b a sis of re p re s s io n th e o ry of dream r e c a l l .F i f t y undergraduate c o lle g e s tu d e n ts were p laced in to low and high r e c a l l groups using responses to a q u e s tio n n a ire and 14 day dream d ia ry .Since numerous v a r ia b le s were examined, s u b je c ts were divided I n to a main stu d y (N«34) and a sub-study (N-16) w ith s ig n if ic a n c e In both s tu d ie s re q u ire d for p o s itiv e r e s u l t s .The P e r s o n a lity Research Form, Babcock S tory R ecall T e st, and a fa n ta sy e x p e rie n c e were used to analyze s u b j e c t s 1 dreams.The p re d ic te d d if f e r e n c e s in p e r s o n a lity and dreams of low and high dream r e c a l l e r s were c l e a r l y not o b ta in e d .Several v a r ia b le s a s s o c ia te d w ith o ra l needs show s i g n i f i c a n t trends su g g estin g th a t dream r e c a ll may be r e la te d to an e a r l y i n f a n t i l e experience as Lewin th e o riz e d .No s ig n i f ic a n t memory d if f e r e n c e s were obtained between th e groups.The r e s u l t s suggest th e need to co n sid er the ro le of in te r p e r s o n a l f a c to rs in d is tin g u is h in g between dream r e c a ll and dream r e p o r t. v