The relative contribution of affect load and affect distress as predictors of disturbed dreaming.
Ross Levin, Gary Fireman, Stuart Spendlove, Alice Pope
Behavioral Sleep Medicine 2011 DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2011.583905 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Duration | 21 days |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Affect load accounted for more unique variance in the incidence of disturbed dreaming, while affect distress accounted for more unique variance in distress over nightmares and bad dreams, supporting Levin and Nielsen's (2007) model. The authors argue that distress about disturbed dreaming remains a crucial component linking dream frequency to waking psychopathology. |
Abstract
This is the first study to empirically investigate the heuristic model of dysphoric dreaming proposed by Levin and Nielsen (2007) . Participants indicated their incidence of nightmares (NMs) and bad dreams (BDs) over 21 days, and rated their subsequent distress in daily dream logs. Results support the contention that the 2 constructs identified in the model, affect load (AL) and affect distress (AD), underlie NM production and are active in both the waking and sleeping states. As predicted, AL accounted for more unique variance to the prediction of incidences of disturbed dreaming (DD), whereas AD accounted for more unique variance to the prediction of distress over NMs and BDs. Taken together, these findings are consistent with Levin and Nielsen's (2007) model and bolster earlier findings that suggest that distress about DD remains a crucial component in the relation between DD frequency and waking psychopathology.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 16
- The relationships between insomnia, nightmares, and dreams: A systematic review Sleep Medicine Reviews April 16, 2024
- The role of mindful acceptance and lucid dreaming in nightmare frequency and distress. Scientific Reports September 21, 2022
- The Relationship between Neuroticism, Nightmare Characteristics and Suffering in respect to PTSD Psychopathology Primenjena psihologija October 30, 2024
- Nightmare frequency and nightmare distress in psychiatric inpatients. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience June 1, 2025
- Understanding nightmares after traumatic events in Detroit (UNiTED): prospective associations with interpersonal violence and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms European Journal of Psychotraumatology October 8, 2024
and 11 more in the library
Cites 7
- Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Sleep 2002
- The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Journal of Sleep Research May 26, 2004
- Phenomenal qualities of nightmare experience in a prospective study of college students. Dreaming June 1, 2002
- Variety and intensity of emotions in nightmares and bad dreams. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease April 1, 2006
- Clinical importance of nightmare disorder in patients with dissociative disorders Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 2003
and 2 more in the library