DreamsDreams  Do bébés (babies) dream?  Do animals dream?  Why don’t people remember their dreams? remember their dreams?  Why do we dream?

I. Psychoanalytic Theory of Sigmund Freud a.Dreams are disguised symbols of unconscious repressed desires b.Wish-fulfillment for instinctive, but socially or personally unacceptable, impulses to rise to the surface of consciousness c.Consist of the manifest content – what you can recall, and the latent content – the “real” hidden meaning “Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious”

Examples: manifest content of cigars, trains, guns, unopened umbrellas may latently be phallic symbols (representing male genitals); circular objects and cavities such as boxes, and tunnels represent female anatomy

d.However, it may be only “day residue” – leftover memories of everyday elements that enter our dreams e.It is the job of the psychoanalyst to interpret the content f.Explains why we forget dreams through the repression hypothesis – forgetting is a defensive act to keep you from facing your desires and fears

g.Hard to scientifically test Freud’s theory h.Criticized for too much emphasis on sex

II. Biological View: Activation-Synthesis Theory (McCarley & Hobson) - Claims that dreams have no real psychological significance, but are by-products of random stimulation of brain cells Claims that dreams have no real psychological significance, but are by-products of random stimulation of brain cells  Activation – the pons sends nerve impulses for various activities such as running, laughing, hearing, etc.  Synthesis – the cortex areas associated with these impulses try to make sense of this by manufacturing dreams

c. Dreams are stories to keep ourselves asleep d.May serve a function in learning and memory, as well as brain development and maintenance e.No need to interpret dreams, since they are biological in nature f.Salience hypothesis – we forget the dreams because they have little real meaning and are psychologically unimportant g.Also, parts of the brain that are involved in the formation of new memories are less active

III. Cognitive View: “Problem Solving” a.Dreams are a form of information processing, helping us sift and sort our everyday experiences and thoughts b.People’s dreams reflect their problems, and thus may offer time to solve them c.Dreams may be a time of creativity and invention

Examples of Creativity  Sewing machine’s inventor claimed to be inspired by a dream  Jack Nicklaus discovered a new golf grip  Kekule discovered the molecular structure of benzene through a dream  McCartney claims to have written “Yesterday” from a dream

d.People trying to change a behavior (quit smoking, overeating, etc.) often dream of doing the behavior and feeling guilty; these people are more likely to succeed in quitting – known as the DAMIT experience (Dreams of Absent MInded Transgression) e.You are the best person to interpret the dream, since you best know the problem f.Interference hypothesis – forgetting dreams is a normal cognitive process; new dreams, and thoughts when you awaken, interfere with your memory