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Relationship of rod-and-frame scores to dream recall.

R N Bone, T A Thomas, D L Kinsolving

Psychological Reports February 1, 1972 DOI: 10.2466/pr0.1972.30.1.58 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational study Peer reviewed
Sample size 176
Population 86 male and 90 female introductory psychology students
Duration 24-day dream diary period
Measures rod-and-frame test, 7-point questionnaire dream recall scale, dream diary
Topics Dreaming
Keywords Humans Repression-sensitization Dreams Memory Field dependence-independence Psychological tests Female
Key findings Field independence was not significantly related to dream recall for the total group or women, though correlations were in the predicted direction. For men, the questionnaire measure followed the same pattern, but the diary measure showed a significant relationship in the opposite direction (p < .05), with field-dependent men recalling more dreams. The authors state this is difficult to reconcile with Witkin's (1970) hypothesis that field-dependents rely on repression and should recall fewer dreams, and propose no explanation.

Abstract

Equivocal evidence exists as to the relationship of dream recall to field independence. Although previous work (Witkin, Dyk, Faterson, Goodenough, & Karp, 1962) showed field independents recalled more, Montgomery and Bone (1970) employing an Identical-figures Task obcained no such relationship. Considering these findings the present scudy was designed to clarify this area both by employing a large sample and two measures of dream recall. Rod-and-frame scores, average deviacion from vertical over 8 trials, were obtained from 86 male and 90 female introductory psychology students. Ss were asked to race their questionnaire dream recall on a 7-poinc scale, high scores reflecting greater recall. Dream diary recall was assessed by the number of dreams recalled upon awakening over a 24-day period. Product-moment correlations were computed. Rod-and-frame correlations were -.06, -.I8 and -.I1 for the questionnaire measure and .21, -.I4 and .03 for the diary measure for male, female and total data respectively. Field independence was not significantly related to either index for the total group and women, although it was in the predicted direction (Witkin, et al., 1962). While data for men follow the same pattern for the questionnaire index, significance was actained for the diary measure (p < .05) but in the opposite direction (e.g., field-dependenc men recall more dreams). This is difficult co reconcile with Witkin's (1970) hypothesis that field-dependents rely on repression and should recall fewer dreams. Repression, however, has recently been questioned as an explanatory mechanism (Bone, Nelson, & McAllister, 1970) for failure to recall dreams. No explanation for these data is proposed.

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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

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