Abstract Index Conference Index

ABSTRACT

Problem-Solving using Dream Incubation: Dreaming or Cognitive Effort?

Presenter: Dr. Gregory White, Associate Professor of Psychology, National University
email: gwhite@nu.edu

Dr. White is both a clinical and social psychologist with interests in Jungian theory, hypnosis, sleep and dreaming, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. He currently directs the M.A. in Counseling Psychology at the Redding Academic Center of National University and has a private practice in Jungian psychotherapy and clinical health psychology.

Summary of Presentation:

A randomized experimental design was used to assess efficacy of two types of problem-solving, either dream incubation or cognitive-analysis, that were either practiced just before sleep or after waking, on solving a moderately distressing personal problem. Measures included daily mood; dream report; and problem-solving effort, insight, and success.


Learning Objectives:

A.
1. Know general findings in past research outcomes on dream incubation
2. Be able to distinguish dream incubation from cognitive problem-solving
3. Know at least one reason why experimental research on dream incubation may yield different results from clinical reports.
B.
1. Past research confirms that dream incubation may be useful in solving personal problems.
a. generally yes
b. generally no
c. results are mixed (correct)

2. Which of the following distinguishes dream incubation from cognitive problem-solving methods:
a. focus on one particular problem at a time
b. reviewing elements of the problem's history or context
c. that active dreaming is a necessary component of efficacy
d. that active dreaming is a sufficient component of efficacy (correct)

3. Experimental research on the role of dream incubation, compared to clinical reports,
a. is better because experimental subjects are usually more motivated
b. can help separate out the effects of cognitive effort from the role of dreaming per se (correct)
c. is usually of little use to a clinician unless subjects have a mental health diagnosis
d. usually find that hypnosis and dream incubation are very similar

ASD Paper Presentation Proposal

Problem-Solving using Dream Incubation: Dreaming or Cognitive Effort?

Gregory L. White
National University
Laurel Taytroe
Southern Oregon University

ABSTRACT

Frequent dreamers were recruited for a ten-day study on "daily mood". Frequent dreamers were chosen to maximize the likelihood of dream reports, and because research suggests that there are few meaningful personality differences between frequent dreamers and less frequent dreamers, or between the dreams of frequent versus non-frequent dreamers. One hundred participants, mostly undergraduate students, were randomly assigned to one of five experimental conditions in a 2 x 2 factorial design with a control group. Experimental subjects were given instructions that either presented a dream incubation technique reported by Delaney (1998), or presented a cognitive-analytical method of analyzing problems. The incubation or analytical method was applied to either an interpersonal problem or to an academic problem that the subject had previously rated as moderately distressing but probably solvable. Crosscutting type of method used, subjects followed their instructions either just prior to sleep or soon after morning waking for a period of ten days. Control group subjects took the same dependent measures also over a period of ten days, but were given no incubation or problem-solving instructions. Dependent measures included subject self-reports of daily mood, problem-solving efforts, sudden insight to their problems, and problem-solving success.

Based on clinical reports and some research, we predicted that the dream incubation technique would yield more positive mood, greater problem-solving effort, more insight, and more success at problem-solving than the cognitive-analytic technique. However, this effect would occur for subjects who practiced dream incubation before falling asleep rather than for those who practiced upon awakening, presumably due to the mediating effects of creative dreaming. Hence we expect an interaction of Technique (Incubation vs. Analytical) with Time of Practice (Before Sleep, After Sleep) on the major dependent measures. Further, subjects in the Incubation-Evening condition would be expected to have greater success at problem-solving than control subjects, who would not be as subject to the confounding effects of expectation of dream utility.
References

Blagrove, M. (1992). Dreams as reflections of waking concerns and abilities: A critique of the problem-solving paradigm in dream research. Dreaming, 2, 205-220.
Busink, R. (1996). Identifying types of impactful dreams: A replication. Dreaming, 6, 97-119.
Delaney, G. (1996). Living your dreams. San Francisco: Harper
Domhoff, W. (1996). Finding meaning in dreams. New York: Plenum
Flowers, L. (1995). The use of pre-sleep instructions in psychosomatic disorders. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 64, 173-177.
Saredi, R., et al, (1997). Current concerns and REM dream incubation: A laboratory study of dream incubation. Dreaming, 7, 195-208.
Strauch, I., & Meier, B. (1996). In search of dreams: Results of experimental dream research. Albany: State University of New York.
Strunz, F. (1993). Pre-conscious mental activity and scientific problem solving: A critique of the Kekule dream controversy. Dreaming; 3, 281-294.
Van de Castle, R.L. (1994). Our dreaming mind. New York: Ballantine.

PUBLICATIONS

Books and Articles

Zimbardo, P. G., Marshall, G., White, G., & Maslach, C. (1973). Objective assessment of hypnotically induced time distortion. Science, 181, 282?284.

White, G. L., & Maltzman, I. (1978). Pupillary activity while listening to verbal passages. Journal of Research in Personality, 12, 361?369.

White, G. L. (1980). Consensus and justification effects on attitudes following counterattitudinal behavior. Social Psychology Quarterly, 43, 321?327.

White, G. L. (1980). Inducing jealousy: A power perspective. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 6, 222?227.

White, G. L. (1980). Physical attractiveness and courtship progress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 660?668.

White, G. L., & Zimbardo, P. G. (1980). The effects of threat of surveillance and actual surveillance on expressed opinions toward marijuana. Journal of Social Psychology, 111, 49?61

White, G. L. (1981). Jealousy and partner's perceived motives for attraction to a rival. Social Psychology Quarterly, 44, 24?30.

White, G. L. (1981). A model of romantic jealousy. Motivation and Emotion, 5, 295?310.

White, G. L. (1981). Relative involvement, inadequacy, and jealousy: A test of causal model. Alternative Lifestyles, 4, 291?309.

White, G. L. (1981). Some correlates of romantic jealousy. Journal of Personality, 49, 129?147.

White, G. L., Fishbein, S., & Rutstein, J. (1981). Passionate love and the misattribution of arousal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 41, 56?62.

White, G. L., & Gerard, H. B. (1981). Post decision evaluation of choice alternatives as a function of choice and expected delay of choice consequences. Journal of Research in Personality, 15, 371?382.

Gerard, H. B., & White, G. L. (1983). Post?decisional reevaluation of choice alternatives. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 9, 365?370.

Smith, K. K., & White, G. L. (1983). Some alternatives to traditional social psychology of groups. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 9, 65?73.

White, G. L. (1984). Comparison of four jealousy scales. Journal of Research in Personality, 18, 115?130.

White, G. L., & Kight, T. (1984). Misattribution of arousal and attraction: Effects of salience of explanations for arousal. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 20, 55?64.

White, G. L., & Shapiro, D. (1987). Don't I know you? Antecedents and social consequences of perceived familiarity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 23, 75?92.

White, G. L., & Helbick, T. R. (1988). Understanding and treating jealousy. In R. A. Brown & J. R. Field (Eds.), Treating sexual problems in individual and marital therapy. Great Neck, NY: PMA Publishing.

White, G. L., & Mullen, P. E. (1989). Jealousy: Theory, Research, and Clinical Strategies. New York: Guilford Press.

Vamos, M., White, G.L., & Caughey, D. (1990). Body image in rheumatoid arthritis: The relevance of hand appearance to desire for surgery. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 63, 267?277.

White, G.L. (1991). Self, relationship, friends, and family: A systems view of romantic jealousy. In P. Salovey (Ed.), The psychology of jealousy and envy. New York: Guilford Press.

White, G.L. (2000) Jealousy and problems of commitment. In W.H. Jones & J.M. Adams (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal commitment. New York: Plenum Press.

Book Reviews

White, G. L. (1981). Taking love seriously. Contemporary Psychology, 26, 707?708.

White, G. L. (1984). Review of Not in our genes. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 13, 83?84.

White, G. L. (1984). Review of the combined task force Report on Mental Health Law. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 13, 76?77.

White, G. L. (1986). Review of Compatible and incompatible relationships. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 15, 81?82.

Other Publications

Zimbardo, P. G., & White, G. L. (1973). The Stanford prison experiment slide presentation. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Department of Psychology.

Rev. 8/00