Dement & Kleitman (1957): Eye Movements, Dream Recall, and REM Sleep

What was the general aim of the Dement & Kleitman (1957) study?

To investigate the relationship between eye movements and dreaming.

What specific question did the study seek to answer regarding dream recall?

Does dream recall differ between REM and NREM stages of sleep?

What hypothesis was proposed about REM sleep and dreaming?

There will be a significant association between REM sleep and dreaming.

What psychometric tools were used in the study?

EEG (electroencephalogram) and EOG (electrooculogram).

What does REM stand for and what occurs during this stage?

Rapid Eye Movement; dreaming occurs during this stage.

What did Aserinsky (1955) discover about REM sleep?

Participants woken from REM sleep were more likely to report vivid dreams than those woken from NREM.

What was the average time gap between different dreams observed in the study?

92 minutes, with a range of 70 to 104 minutes.

What was the average length of REM sleep recorded in the study?

20 minutes, with a range of 3 to 50 minutes.

What percentage of dream recall was reported when participants were awakened from REM sleep?

79.6% dream recall.

What was the correlation found between REM duration and dream narrative length?

There was a positive correlation between REM duration and the number of words in the dream recall.

What types of eye movements were observed in relation to dream content?

Vertical movements were associated with looking up/down, horizontal movements with side-to-side actions, and mixed movements with conversations.

What conclusion was drawn about dreams occurring in REM versus NREM sleep?

Dreams occur during REM sleep only; dreams reported from NREM are from previous REM episodes.

What strength of the study is highlighted regarding reliability?

High reliability due to the controlled laboratory environment.

How did the study avoid demand characteristics?

Participants were not informed whether they were in REM or NREM sleep.

What type of data was primarily collected in the study?

Quantitative data such as brain waves, eye movement patterns, and REM sleep duration.

What limitation regarding generalizability is noted in the study?

The sample size was too small, limiting generalizability.

What ethical concern arose regarding participant WD?

Participant WD was deceived about being woken in REM sleep, which could cause distress.

What is a noted limitation regarding ecological validity?

Sleeping in a lab with electrodes may tamper with natural sleeping behavior.

How does the study relate to the nature vs. nurture debate?

Dream content relates to experiences (nurture), while the ability to dream is a product of nature.

What was the method of waking participants during the study?

Participants were woken up after either 5 or 15 minutes into their REM sleep.

What was the accuracy of participants estimating their dream duration?

88% accuracy for 5 minutes and 78% for 15 minutes.

What is the significance of the study's findings on dreaming?

It shows that dreams are experienced in real-time and are not instantaneous events.

What was the total number of dream narratives collected in the study?

152 dream narratives were collected, with 126 being analyzed after omitting poor recordings.