The effects of current-concern- and nonconcern-related waking suggestions on nocturnal dream content

Bibliographic Data

ID6205072
AuthorsCharles D Nikles (University of Minnesota Morris, corresponding author), Charles D Nikles II, David L Brecht, Eric Klinger, Amy L Bursell
Year1998
Volume75
Issue1
Pages242-255
Publication date1998-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037//0022-3514.75.1.242
PMID9686462
OpenAlexW1981381137
LanguageEN
Citations received21
References cited2

In previous research, presleep suggestions influenced nocturnal dream content. It was hypothesized that suggesting topics associated with participants' current concerns would influence dream content more than suggesting other topics. Ten students spent 4 nights in a sleep laboratory: an adaptation night, a baseline night, and 2 nights under suggestions to dream about a concern-related or other topic. Concern-related suggestions influenced dream content--largely its central imagery--more than did other suggestions, which did not differ from nonsuggestion. Number of transformations within dreams was uncorrelated with dream vividness, contrary to extended activation-synthesis theory. Thus, the concern-related status of suggestions moderates their effectiveness and, inconsistent with extended activation-synthesis theory but consistent with current-concerns and distributed-activation theories, motivational and volitional processes actively influence dream content.

Content (measure theory · Content analysis · Dream · Nocturnal · Psychotherapist · Social science · Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function · Psychology · Sleep and related disorders · Sleep and Wakefulness Research · Social Psychology