The activation synthesis Theory of dreaming research study : Williams et al - a study into bizarreness in dreams and fantasies

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

study based on assumptions that strange nature of some dreams correlates with the neurobiology of REM sleep, quotes Mamelak and Hobson who concluded that the brain is activated yet disconnected during REM sleep, leading to generation of random signals that result in bizarre dreams.

They also noted the challenges to this idea ( Foulkes report children REM sleep dream lack bizarreness whereas Reinsel et al claims REM are bizarre yet no more so than reports of either NON REM dreams or waking fantasies,

Researchers believed that two brain stages - being awake and being in REM sleep were so different physiologically that they must be different cognitively, Before the study they conducted pilot study of bizarre cognition in dreams and daytime fantasies of 12 adult subjects

Their results showed some distinction could be made between the two states in terms on number of characters in dreams / fantasies and the remoteness of time and place. Measures then carried into main study

Researchers predicted bizarre content of dreams would differ from bizarre content of fantasies because of the activity associated with REM sleep.

Question 2

Define fantasies

Answer 2

Products of the imagination where impossible or improbable occurrences are imagined

Question 3

Aim of study

Answer 3

Access the bizarreness in dreams and fantasies to provide support for the activation synthesis hypothesis of dreaming

Question 4

Design of study

Answer 4

• Natural experiment comparing peoples dreams and fantasies ( IDV ) using a self report method

Question 5

Sample - participants

Answer 5

12 students enrolled in a biopsychology course in Harvard
2 subject = male, the other 10 = female
age range was 23 - 45

Question 6

Materials

Answer 6

• Writing materials for participants to record experiences
• scale for measuring bizarreness of experiences

Question 7

Procedure

Answer 7

During one term, participants asked to keep a writing journal, they recorded any and all dreams that they remembered whether waking up in the night or the morning.

They also recorded any mental activity while awake if it relates to fantasising,

Question 8

Procedure - researchers definition of fantasy also in simple terms

Answer 8

apparently spontaneous mentation of a narrative AND/OR perceptual nature without clear links to the external stimuli or conscious intention

Simple term = fantasies that pop into the mind of people and have no obvious connection with what it happening around them at the time

Question 9

Procedure

Answer 9

A total of 60 dream reports and 60 fantasy reports selected from sample on the basis of length and because they described a visual experience= 120 reports selected for quantitative analysis

Reports divided into one sentence units, scored separately for bizarreness using a scale adapted from the two stage system formed by Hobson

1 stage of scoring system described the locus of bizarre item

Question 10

what did the second stage of scoring system describe ?
Table with it

Answer 10

Second stage of scoring system described the type of bizarreness

stage one : locus
plot A
Thoughts of dreamer / character B
Emotion of dreamer / character C
Ad hoc D

Stage two : type of bizarreness
Discontinuity 1
incongruity 2
uncertainty 3
Not bizarre 0

Question 11

Example and its scoring

Answer 11

” The driver always returns with a sheep which we put in our suitcase “ A2

” I am at a swimming pool watching my sister compete in a swimming match “ A1

Question 12

Procedure

Answer 12

Sentence units get more than one score if contains more than one bizarre element while a unit of no bizarreness got a score of 0

Bizarreness density was calculated for each report by diving number of bizarre items scored by the total number of units. Total densities calculated for both fantasies and dreams.

Using this scale, 3 judges scored all 120 reports as bizarre, not knowing where they were scoring a fantasy or dream,. They were asked to discuss if it was after scoring.

Worked independently to inter- rater reliability could be tested.

Question 13

Results

Answer 13

Judges showed good inter rater reliability : agreed about 80% of the time on both bizarre and non bizarre items

Agreement on bizarre items ranged from 50 to 60%. Strong agreement by judges on bizarreness density scored given for dreams and fantasies.

BD4D = 0.223 BD4F = 0.089 = significant difference

Question 14

Results

Answer 14

Most significant difference between dreams and fantasies was on plot discontinuity. Also differences between thought plot, incongruity, incongruity and uncertainty.

7/12 participants had dreams with significantly high bizarreness scores than fantasies. One 1 participant had significantly higher score in fantasy , but this was someone who referred to her own magical powers in her fantasy reports.

Judges able to assess whether a report was a dream or fantasy with 88.7% accuracy = clear distinction in bizarreness

sample of 24 reports, 12/12 dreams set in remote times or places, 6/12 fantasies equally divided between remote and current environment .
Fantasies involved the first person 4/12 reports while reports of dreams involved more than one character 12/12 and one involved more than 8 characters

Question 15

Conclusion

Answer 15

• Researchers conducted from evidence dream dream bizarreness is a direct cognitive correlate to neuronal activity in REM sleep, in support of this, they referred to results that dreams show more bizarreness as well as other dream features - ROTAM compared to fantasies
• Both trained and untrained judges could distinguish dreams from fantasies around 90% ACCURACY suggesting dreaming and fantasising are 2 substantial diff types of cognitive activity
• Data shows overlap of cognitive features between inattentive waking and sleeping - explained in terms of parallel in brain activity in REM sleep and wake sleep boundary , neither register external stimuli = parts of brain become sensorily disconnected and fire randomly

Question 16

Criticisms: The study relied on ..

Answer 16

self report, which means social desirability may have been a factor. Participants may have been embarrassed about some of their dreams or fantasies, so may have no reputed them all or missed out/ changed aspects in description = comparisons unreliable

Question 17

Criticism: the ———— in score may be down to ———— in —————— ————- or the —— the reports were ——— in

Answer 17

difference, variabilities , reporting techniques , setting ,written

participants asked to report dreams and fantasies as they happen = not practical = detail forgotten or given too much coherent = inaccurate description

Question 18

Criticism: There was a lack of control over the ——— ———, which was supposed to be ————— ————- ————

Answer 18

independent variable, dreams VS fantasies
results relied on participants reporting from home so its possible they may have wrote dreams in non REM or fantasies occur when drowsy and brain functions similar to that of non REM sleep. Extraneous variables = difference between dreams and fantasies may be bigger

Question 19

State 2 criticisms

Answer 19

1) difficult to generalise = 12 different people and majority female which could affect the nature of dreams and fantasies = results = gender bias

2) Results may lack construct validity = dreams, fantasies are a complex phenomena , data reduced to number = oversimplified
Critics argue data on dreams should be qualitive than quantitate