A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams

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dc.contributor.advisorSaayman, Grahamen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorStern, Derek Alanen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-21T19:21:13Z
dc.date.available2016-03-21T19:21:13Z
dc.date.issued1977en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaf 97-110.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis experiment tested the hypothesis that demand characteristics, as outlined by Orne (1962), may affect dream content. Twelve subjects, allocated to two matched groups balanced for age and sex, were selected on the basis of good dream recall from 94 volunteer psychology I students. Subjects were involved in the study for 15 consecutive nights, three of which were laboratory recording nights, when subjects were woken to report their laboratory dreams during rapid eye movement (stage REM) sleep. Night 1 served as an habituation night (Hall, 1967). On nights 2-7 subjects recorded their home dreams on blank diary forms, from which baseline measures were derived. Night 8 served as the laboratory baseline night prior to the introduction of the independent variable on the following morning. The independent variable was a simple form administered to each group requesting that the subjects in the respective groups pay special attention to either the outdoor/nature or urban settings of their nocturnal dreams. The forms were administered in sealed envelopes and the experimenter was blind as to which form and thus to which group subjects were assigned. The remaining nights served as the treatment condition. Home dreams were again recorded on nights 9-14 whilst night 15 served as the third laboratory night. A post experimental enquiry was conducted in the week following night 15. Subjects did not consciously construe the forms as representing an attempt to influence their dreams. Nevertheless in the treatment condition, the dream settings of both groups changed significantly in the predicted direction as assessed by two quantitative indices; a scale giving a global impression of the dream and a content analysis of words in the dream text. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to both laboratory dream research and psychotherapy.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationStern, D. A. (1977). <i>A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18091en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationStern, Derek Alan. <i>"A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 1977. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18091en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationStern, D. 1977. A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Stern, Derek Alan AB - This experiment tested the hypothesis that demand characteristics, as outlined by Orne (1962), may affect dream content. Twelve subjects, allocated to two matched groups balanced for age and sex, were selected on the basis of good dream recall from 94 volunteer psychology I students. Subjects were involved in the study for 15 consecutive nights, three of which were laboratory recording nights, when subjects were woken to report their laboratory dreams during rapid eye movement (stage REM) sleep. Night 1 served as an habituation night (Hall, 1967). On nights 2-7 subjects recorded their home dreams on blank diary forms, from which baseline measures were derived. Night 8 served as the laboratory baseline night prior to the introduction of the independent variable on the following morning. The independent variable was a simple form administered to each group requesting that the subjects in the respective groups pay special attention to either the outdoor/nature or urban settings of their nocturnal dreams. The forms were administered in sealed envelopes and the experimenter was blind as to which form and thus to which group subjects were assigned. The remaining nights served as the treatment condition. Home dreams were again recorded on nights 9-14 whilst night 15 served as the third laboratory night. A post experimental enquiry was conducted in the week following night 15. Subjects did not consciously construe the forms as representing an attempt to influence their dreams. Nevertheless in the treatment condition, the dream settings of both groups changed significantly in the predicted direction as assessed by two quantitative indices; a scale giving a global impression of the dream and a content analysis of words in the dream text. The implications of these findings are discussed with reference to both laboratory dream research and psychotherapy. DA - 1977 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1977 T1 - A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams TI - A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18091 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/18091
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationStern DA. A methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreams. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 1977 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18091en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPsychologyen_ZA
dc.titleA methodological study of the effect of experimentally induced demand characteristics in research on nocturnal dreamsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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