Dreaming: What’s Going on? Dream behavior Theories of Dreaming Conclusions –What can we learn from our dreams? Are they meaningful? True / predictive? Basic Methodology (if we have time…)

Some Questions: Are Dreams meaningful--what do they mean? Are the predictive or “true”? How do they differ from other states? What is their function do they even have one? Are they brain functions or mind functions?

Dream behavior & description Within sleep Amount Brainwave activity & bodily quietude –the paradox REM

Dreams & REM sleep REM amount & periodicity Brainstem cholinergic & adrenergic promoting & inhibiting areas A regular activity rooted in the brain

Outline Characteristics and Descriptions Theories of Dreaming Conclusions –What can we learn from our dreams? Are they meaningful? True / predictive? Basic Methodology (if we have time…)

Theories of Dreaming Dreams as meaningful events: Freud (& Jung) (--Poetzel effect) --Aserinsky, Dement & Kleitman implications Hall/Cartright Dreams as random activity (Hobson +) Synthesis (perhaps)

Psychoanalytic Theory Mental conflict Unconscious motivations Two forces: impulses & defenses (repression) Dreams as a release Dreamwork and its results –Latent dream –Manifest dream –Remembered dream Dreamwork and forgetting as protective mechanisms Poetzel Effect,

Freud & Neuroimaging Michael Anderson- Validates Repression: Forebrain active in inhibiting hippocampus on repressed items Allen Braun: Limbic system-emotion active during REM) Prefrontal cortex (working mem. Att’n, logic & self-monitoring) inactive during REM Above consistent with dream bizarreness & emotional disinhibition/wish fulfillment Visual cortex inactive but higher visual areas active so we see w.o. visual input- one of the amazing things about dreaming!

Freud & Neuroimaging (Mark Solms) Injured Pons vs. injured Forebrain -Pons-disrupts REM but dreaming goes on. -Forebrain-lose dreaming but REM goes on. -Also, some dreaming outside of REM Role of Motivation (in addition to emotional areas) -Prefrontal leukotomy (white matter in ventro-medial forebrain area) decreases dopamine release. It’s a motivational area “seeking” behavior. -Hartmann: administering dopamine supercharges dreaming! Freudian tie between motiv. & dreaming.

Variations on Psychoanalytic Explanation + Challenges Aserinsky, Dement & Kleitman: REM & implications Hall and Cartwright: Dream Series Challenging Views Dreams as random activity (Hobson +) Synthesis (perhaps)

Other Neuroscience Views Crick: Purge extraneous connections Evans: Sorting function on day’s events Winson: Sorting for survival: Neurons reactivated during dreams Wilson: Rat Dream article- maze learning during dreams Hobson: random activity & activation- synthesis hypothesis

Hobson: Dream Transformations From: inanimate animate character To: inanimate Animate 20 7 Character 0014

Dream Characteristics Lack of active volition Absence of ongoing reflective judgment Limited to phenomena of the immediate present Diffuse cognitive slippage--dreamlike confusion- transformations of perception, thought, memory, emotion, relationships, etc. Gaps in experience: 20% Confusion of thought & irrational intuitions: 41% Problems in sustained attention: 5% Memory deficiencies within the dream: 15% Overall, even 51% of "clearest dreams" had clouding of cs. --Usually not radical (scz, psychedelic) but rather more like that of waking life Can even have hallucinations or psychedelic exper. in dreams (as in waking life!) ex. flying 4%, bizarre figures,4%, changed identity 3%, LSD-like transformations of vision 13%. Mostly visual 47%. Somatic 10%, audit. 14%.

Conclusions Can we obtain meaningful insights about ourselves through our dreams? What can we learn from our dreams? Are they meaningful? true / predictive/useful? Dream problem-solving (Lowie, Kekule)!

Outline Characteristics and Descriptions Theories of Dreaming Conclusions –What can we learn from our dreams? Are they meaningful? True / predictive? Basic Methodology

Experimentation –Independent vs. Dependent variables –Observational vs. Experimental studies Causation vs. Correlation Experimental “control”

Making Observations Scientific observations often begin with a question or hypothesis. The hypothesis must be testable. This calls for an operational definition of key terms to specify the study’s dependent variable. Data must also be systematically collected. Researchers ignore anecdotal evidence.

Defining the Sample Based on observations of a sample, psychologists want to draw conclusions about a broad population. Random sampling All members of the population have an equal chance of being picked to participate. Researchers also use other procedures, including stratified sampling and case studies.

The Power of Experiments The two groups must be matched at the outset of the experiment. To ensure matching groups, researchers use: random assignment (ex. Clinical trials) within-subject comparison. taking precautions to address problems created by the sequence of conditions

The Control Condition

Assessing External Validity Researchers want their study to mirror circumstances of the broader world. external validity External validity depends on many factors. The study should not change behaviors the researchers hope to understand.

Assessing External Validity One concern here involves the study’s possible demand characteristics: cues that can signal to participants how they’re supposed to behave One way of avoiding this problem is to use a double-blind design.

Measurement The Description of Data –Central tendency Mean, median, mode –Variability Variance Standard deviation –Correlation & significance level

Measurement

TH HT THHHTT T = tails H = heads

Correlation Coefficients (0 – 1)