New rationales and methods for quantitative dream research outside the laboratory.

Abstract

Laboratory studies of dreams are now at a low ebb, but past laboratory studies provide a basis for the belief that some kinds of non laboratory studies, those that focus strictly on dream content, may be useful for scientific purposes. Further, the collection of Most Recent Dreams from individuals in specific types of groups, along with the use of dream journals from individuals, can supply the necessary sample sizes needed for reliable findings (100-125 for groups, 75-100 for individuals). An Excel 5 spreadsheet has improved the accuracy and speed of data analysis with the well established and widely used Hall/Van de Castle coding system and is available on the World Wide Web. A bar graph called the h-profile, based on percentage deviations from norms and generated automatically by the Excel 5 spreadsheet, makes it much easier to grasp comparisons of different groups or individuals on many content indicators. Findings with the Hall/Van de Castle system showing age, gender, individual, and cross-cultural similarities and differences suggest that these new methods of data collection and analysis provide a valid and low-budget way to further the understanding of dream content.