As adults, we spend an average of two hours (about 25 percent of our total sleep time) each night dreaming. By late adulthood, humans will spend nearly six years of their lives dreaming. Given the amount of time that we spend sleeping and dreaming, it is not surprising that so much attention has been devoted to what happens when we sleep. Theorists have long been interested in why we dream, as well as the content of our dreams. Moreover, a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology revealed that adults in diverse cultures believe that dreams are meaningful and, often, they contain important hidden truths. As you begin this activity, reflect on your own beliefs about dreams.
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1
Think of a dream that you had that really stands out in your mind. Select a dream that you are comfortable sharing with your instructor and/or the class, and briefly describe your dream and any details that you recall.
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2
Your textbook provides an overview of how the psychoanalytic, activation–synthesis, and neurocognitive models explain the nature and function of dreams. How might each of these models explain the content of the dream you selected? a. Psychoanalytic model b. Activation–synthesis model c. Neurocognitive model
Your textbook provides an overview of how the psychoanalytic, activation–synthesis, and neurocognitive models explain the nature and function of dreams. How might each of these models explain the content of the dream you selected?a. Psychoanalytic modelb. Activation–synthesis modelc. Neurocognitive model
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3
Locate a Website devoted to dream interpretation. Try to find a Website that explains content that is similar to the dream that you selected. Briefly summarize the explanation of your dream. Is the explanation consistent with one of the models described in your textbook? Explain, and provide the URL of the Website that you used to answer this question.
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4
Based on your research and the information presented in your textbook, do you believe that dreams are meaningful? Why or why not?
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5
About how many hours a night does the average adult spend dreaming?
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6
According to _____, wish fulfillment is the purpose of each and every dream that we have.
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7
The ____ model of dreaming maintains that brain activity during sleep produces dream images that are combined by the brain into a dream story.
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8
Dr. Rodriguez conducts research on sleep and dreaming. She believes that dreams reflect our interests, personality, and individual worries. Which model of dreaming does Dr. Rodriguez endorse? Explain why you selected this model.
Dr. Rodriguez’s approach to understanding dreams is consistent with the neurocognitive model of dreaming. This model emphasizes the continuity between waking and dreaming cognition. Unlike the activation–synthesis model, which describes dreams as a “cognitive mishmash” of random fragments of memories, images, and emotions, the neurocognitive model asserts that dreams reflect our interests, personality, and individual worries.