1. Freud vs. Hobson & McCarley
Starter: Refer back to the following table – complete this table by answering the following questions below. Please note: Your three columns need to be evenly sized.
Issue
Freud’s theory
Hobson & McCarley’s theory
Methodology
What methods or types of tests are used to gather data?
Objectivity
Is the theory subjective or objective? Do the researchers views affect the information gathered?
Credibility
Does the theory comes from evidence we can accept? Why?
Dreams are meaningful
Does the theory suggest that dreams have any meaning?
Nature-nurture
Does the theory suggest that dreams are something we are born with, why? Or does the theory suggest that dreams are something we learn?

2. Freud vs. Hobson & McCarley
Issue
Freud’s theory
Hobson & McCarley’s theory
Methodology
Uses case studies and dream analysis.
Uses scanning (EEG) and experiments (on cats).
Objectivity
Subjective, as the meaning of dreams needs interpreting.
Objective, as it uses scientific measures such as scanning (EEG) and experiments on cats.
Credibility
Lacks credibility because of lack of scientific methods and unlikely explanation (e.g. sexual interpretations).
Has credibility because of the scientific methods used and evidence from animal studies.
Dreams are meaningful
Dreams have meanings with the story giving symbols as clues to unconscious wishes and desires.
Dreams have no meaning – they are random and meaningless.
Nature-nurture
Both nature and nurture – having a powerful unconscious is nature and its contents are nurture.
Nature – dreaming is part of the way the brain and body work.

3. Freud vs. Hobson & McCarley
Issue
Freud’s theory
Hobson & McCarley’s theory
Methodology
Uses case studies and dream analysis.
Uses scanning (EEG) and experiments (on cats).
Objectivity
Subjective, as the meaning of dreams needs interpreting.
Objective, as it uses scientific measures such as scanning (EEG) and experiments on cats.
Credibility
Lacks credibility because of lack of scientific methods and unlikely explanation (e.g. sexual interpretations).
Has credibility because of the scientific methods used and evidence from animal studies.
Dreams are meaningful
Dreams have meanings with the story giving symbols as clues to unconscious wishes and desires.
Dreams have no meaning – they are random and meaningless.
Nature-nurture
Both nature and nurture – having a powerful unconscious is nature and its contents are nurture.
Nature – dreaming is part of the way the brain and body work.

4. Finally…
Explain the difference between Freud’s theory of dreaming and Hobson and McCarley’s theory of dreaming in terms of the nature-nurtue debate (4 marks).
Compare and contrast Freud’s and Hobson & McCarley’s theories of dreaming in terms of their methodology including issues of credibility and objectivity? (6 marks).
Hint: Do not write one paragraph on each! Compare and contrast each point. Therefore you need to write sentences as follows:
Freud used … methods and … in his theory of dreaming in comparison to Hobson and McCarley (1977) who used …