IngentaConnect The Typical Dreams of Canadian University Students

Authors: Nielsen T.A.¹; Zadra A.L.²; Simard V.²; Saucier S.²; Stenstrom P.²; Smith C.³; Kuiken D.⁴

Source: Dreaming, Volume 13, Number 4, 200312 , pp. 211-235(25)

Publisher: Springer

Abstract:

To investigate the dimensional structure of dreams, the Typical Dreams Questionnaire (TDQ) was administered to 1181 first-year University students in three Canadian cities. A profile of themes was found that varied little by age, gender or region; however, differences that were identified could be interpreted as due to developmental milestones, personality attributes or sociocultural factors. Factor analysis produced a solution consisting of 16 coherent factors that were differentially associated with demographic variables and that accounted for 51% of the variance. Women loaded primarily on negative factors (failure, loss of control, snakes-insects), men primarily on positive factors (magic-myth, alien life). Results support the concept of typical dream themes as consistent over time, region and gender and as reflecting the influence of fundamental dream dimensions that may be influenced by sociocultural, personality, cognitive or physiological factors.

Keywords: dreaming; typical dreams; sex differences; personality factors

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Sleep Research Center, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec. Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Québec;, Email: tore.nielsen@umontreal.ca 2: Sleep Research Center, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec. Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Québec 3: Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario 4: Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

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