Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1978 Manifest dream content of adolescents Margaret Bowman Howard Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Social Psychology Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Recommended Citation Howard, Margaret Bowman, "Manifest dream content of adolescents " (1978). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 6557. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/6557 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS Thés material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. 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Xerox University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 790398% HOWARD, MARGARET BOVJMAK MAIŒFEST DREAM CONTENT OF ADOLESCENTS. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, PH.D., 1978 UniMsrsi^ MiOCTilrns International 300 n.zeeb road, ann arbor, mi 48io6 Manifest dream content of adolescents by Margaret Bowman Howard A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Psychology Approved : Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Major Department Signature was redacted for privacy. FortheGraduate College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1978 ii Table of Contents Page Introduction 1 Adolescence Defined 4 Review of the Literature on the 6 Dreams of Adolescents Theories of Adolescence 14 Manifest Dream Content and 31 Life Experience Questions of Interest 33 Method 36 Subjects 36 Procedure 37 Justification for Procedure ^0 Dependent Variables ^7 Analysis 51 Results 34 Subjects 54 Dream Length Setting -58 Dream Characters 61 Dream Objects 78 Social Interaction 90 Emotion 93 Dream Outcome 96 Descriptive Scales iii Sample Dream 115 Overall Correlations 115 Dream Questionnaire 115 Discussion 120 Group Differences 120 Design Limitations 128 Sex Differences 13^ Dream Questionnaire I36 Summary I38 References I39 Acknowledgments I5I Appendix A: Human Subjects Review Committee 153 Approval Letter Appendix B: Dream Questionnaire I55 Appendix C: Dream Content Scales I57 Appendix D: Sample Dream and Scores I65 on Dream Content Scales Appendix E; Correlation Coefficients Among 170 the Dream Content Scales 1 Introduction Throughout history people have been fascinated with dreams. Primitive people believed dreams to be a reflection of the nightly activities of the soul. Aristotle described dreams in terms of aftereffects of sensory stimulation carried into sleep. Today, our knowledge reflects Sigmund Freud's revolutionary concept of the dream and the discovery of regularly-occurring dream cycles. In 1899f Freud published The Interpretation of Dreams. Besides instigating the use of dreams in psychoanalysis, this publication launched their scientific study. Dream symbols were investigated (Darlington, 1942; Feldman, 19^3; Harriman, 1939; Makhdum, 19^0; Schilder, 1942; Schmeing, 1938). Dreams of special groups were studied (Foster & Anderson, 1936; Kant, 1942). There were occasional excur­ sions into Jungian theory (Baynes, 1936), and the clinical use of dreams was analyzed (Bergler, 1943; Casey, 1943; Missriegler, 1931» Saul, 1940; Steiner, 1937). While the types of studies varied, it was the rare work which was not touched in some way by Freudian thought. Freud's concept of the dream dominated the investigation of dreams for over 50 years. Then, in 1953» Aserinsky and Kleitman published an article on their discovery that- dreaming occurred in regular cycles throughout the night 2 and that these cycles could be reliably identified through objective techniques. The impact was tremendous. Dreams, which had previously been the domain of clinical investiga­ tors, would now enter the experimental laboratory. New types of studies emerged, as, for example, factors influen­ cing recall (Cohen, 1.974a, 1974b; Cohen & Wolfe, 1973» Goodenough, 1974; Hiscock & Cohen, 1973; Lewis, Goodenough, Shapiro, & Slesar, 1966; Trinder & Kramer, 1971; Williamson, Heckel, & Bablitt, 1970); relation of bodily movements to the reported dream (Dement & Kleitman, 1957b; Gardner, Grossman, Roffwarg, & Weiner, 1975; Jacobs, 1972; Roffwarg, 1962; Wolpert, 1969); characteristics of sleep cycles (Dement & Kleitman, 1957a; Foulkes, Spear, & Symonds, 1966); effects of laboratory setting on dreams (Domhoff & Kamiya, 1964; Hall, 1967; Whitman, Pierce, Maas, & Baldridge, 1962); the study of nightmares (Fisher, 1974); and effects of presleep events on the dream (Breger, Hunter, & Lane, 1971; Cartwright, Bemick, Borowitz, & Kling, 1969; Foulkes & Rechtschaffen, 1964; Witkin & Lewis, I965). Of the various types of studies published, the analysis of the manifest content of dreams far exceeded all others. Researchers were interested in describing dream content as accurately as possible. To do this, they freed themselves from the Freudian view of dreams and developed analyses that were empirically based. Many kinds of studies of manifest 3 dream content appeared. Some measured the changes in manifest content of dreams occurring on the same night (Dement & Wolpert, 1958) or from different stages of sleep (Foulkes, 1962). Temporal references in dreams were studied (Verdone, I965)• Manifest dream content of emotionally- disturbed persons were compared to normals (Handal & Rychlak, 1971; Hauri, 1976; Raphling, 1970), and dreams of the deaf were analyzed (Singer & Lenahan, 1976). Dream content from groups of normal subjects were studied, as, for example, children (Foulkes, 1967a, 1967b, 1969; Lloyd & Light, 1970; Zim, 1976), the aged (Altschuler, Barad, & Goldfarb, 1963; Brenneis, 1975; Kahn & Fisher, I968; Smith & Hall, 1964), and pregnant women (Winget & Kapp, 1972). Dreams from men and women were compared (Brenneis, 1970; Brenneis & Roll, 1975; Cohen, 1973: Van de Castle, 1970). When we turned to the dreams of the adolescent, we were, surprisingly, confronted with a paucity of information. Only a few scattered studies provided any information at all. This was especially remarkable in light of the recent increase of interest in adolescence as a developmental area. The present study attempted to remedy this situation. An empirical analysis of the manifest dream content of normal adolescents was made. Then the findings were viewed from the perspectives of current theories on adolescence. It was 4 hoped that this would further our understanding of dreams and of the adolescent experience. Adolescence Defined Adolescence is the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. The period stems from ages 13 to 20 and occurs earlier in girls. In Western industrialized societies, adolescence is a prolonged period and a time of stress and strain. In primitive societies, adolescence is very short and without noticeable upheaval (Muuss, 1975)• Adolescence begins with puberty, the point at which sexual maturation is complete. Puberty and pubescence, the two year period during which the reproductive functions mature and secondary sex characteristics appear, are deter­ mined by biological factors. They are clearly marked through a sequence of physiological changes and are universal. Adolescence, however, is not as precisely defined. Adolescence involves the adjustments made in personal, social, sexual, and vocational behaviors as one leaves childhood for adulthood. While it used to be assumed