To the extent that students really believe in a lot of the dream interpretation junk psychobabble, and to the extent that this exericse can show students just how ridiculous all of that is, then I think the assignment serves a valuable purpose--and, in fact, can open the door for a discussion of the research evidence that most dreams are pretty mundane.
Annette Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---- Original message ---- >Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 09:33:13 -0400 >From: "beth benoit" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: RE: [tips] possible activity for sleep and consciousness >To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> > >Hey, Stephen, can I at least say that "bizarre dreams aren't unusual"? I >swear, if I have to hear one more "listen to this dream," I'll remove the >dream topic from my syllabus. Just kidding. (Sort of.) >Beth Benoit >Granite State College >Plymouth State University >New Hampshire > >-----Original Message----- >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 10:14 PM >To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) >Subject: Re: [tips] possible activity for sleep and consciousness > >On 23 Aug 2007 at 10:44, Beth Benoit wrote: > >> >> Here's an example of the kind of dream story I've made up, reminding >> them that dreams are always bizarre > >While acknowledging Beth's imagination in constructing her own example of >a bizarre dream, I have to take issue with her claim that dreams are >always bizarre. I have to because I love contradicting what everyone >knows is true. At least one authority who has studied dreaming >scientifically claims that dreams are frequently far less bizarre than is >generally believed. > >The authority is William Domhoff, the author of "The scientific study of >dreams" (2003). [website at http://dreamresearch.net/]. Michael Hagmann, >in a journalistic account of his research, says this about Domhoff's >view: > >"When psychologist Bill Domhoff thinks of dreams, he sees them as short >tales or theater plays with coherent story lines, no more bizarre or >obscure than our routine waking thoughts." >http://scicom.ucsc.edu/scinotes/9801/dream/complete_text.htm > > Domhoff (2005-06) himself says: > >"Second, content analyses of dreams collected in both sleep laboratories >and college classrooms over the past 55 years suggest that most dreams >are more coherent, reasonable, and focused on everyday life than >traditional cultural stereotypes--and clinical theorists--assume >(Domhoff, 2005a, for a summary; Dorus, Dorus, & Rechtschaffen, 1971; >Snyder, 1970). True, dreams sometimes contain unusual scenarios or >images, but far less often than might be expected. Moreover, the unusual >scenarios have to be seen within a context of predominantly familiar >settings, a cast of mostly known characters, and an enactment of everyday >activities and interests. As the most prolific and creative laboratory >dream researcher of the 20th century, psychologist David Foulkes (1985), >concluded after several decades of work, dreams are a reasonable >simulation of the waking world." > >This challenge to conventional wisdom suggests a possible activity for >students. Let them keep dream diaries to collect all their dreams non- >selectively, then circulate them to the class for rating on degree of >bizarreness. How bizarre is the typical dream, anyway? > >Stephen > >Domhoff, G. W. (2005-2006). Dream research in the mass media: Where >journalists go wrong on dreams. The Scientific Review of Mental Health >Practice, 4(2), 74-78. >http://www.dreamresearch.net/Library/domhoff_2006a.html > >----------------------------------------------------------------- >Stephen L. Black, Ph.D. >Professor of Psychology, Emeritus >Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >2600 College St. >Sherbrooke QC J1M 0C8 >Canada > >Dept web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy >TIPS discussion list for psychology teachers at >http://faculty.frostburg.edu/psyc/southerly/tips/index.htm >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >--- >To make changes to your subscription go to: >http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=engl >ish > > >--- >To make changes to your subscription go to: >http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english > --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
