Coping effectiveness and dreams as a function of personality and dream recall.
G L Gerber
Journal of Clinical Psychology April 1, 1978 DOI: 10.1002/1097-4679(197804)34:2<526::aid-jclp2270340259>3.0.co;2-j (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Adults who kept dream diaries (personality style and dream recall frequency groups) |
| Duration | 30 consecutive days of dream diaries |
| Measures | Repression-Sensitization scale (R-S), Dream Coping Scores, dream diaries, morning mood ratings, daytime self-confidence scores |
| Topics | Anxiety Dreaming |
| Keywords | Humans Adaptation, psychological Stress, psychological Defense mechanisms Repression-sensitization Emotions Personality Self concept Dreams Memory Mental recall Female |
| Key findings | Repressors had more positive Dream Coping Scores and consistently positive morning mood than Sensitizers; frequent dream recallers also had more positive Dream Coping Scores than infrequent recallers. Sensitizers' morning mood depended on the pleasantness of the dream ending, and Sensitizers who were infrequent recallers had very low daytime self-confidence. Questionnaire and diary measures of dream recall frequency showed different relationships with the Repression-Sensitization scale. |
Abstract
Investigated the proposition that effectiveness of coping with daytime and dream stress would be influenced by personality style, as defined by the Repression-Sensitization scale (R-S), and by dreaming style, as defined by frequent (F) or infrequent (I) questionnaire dream recall. The relationship between R-S and F-I dream recall also was explored. Ss kept dream diaries for 30 consecutive days. Sensitizers, who were I recallers, had very low daytime self-confidence scores. Repressors had more positive Dream Coping Scores than Sensitizers, and F recallers had more positive Dream Coping Scores than I recallers. Repressors had a positive morning mood, regardless of whether the ending of their dream was positive or negative. The morning mood of Sensitizers, particularly the I recallers, was dependent on the pleasantness-unpleasantness of the dream ending. R-S and F-I questionnaire dream recall had a low positive correlation; no relationship was found between R-S and F-I dream diary recall.
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 |
| The prevalence of nightmares and their independence from anxiety. Undergraduates | 1990 | Observational study using daily dream logs | n = 220 |