research evidence

• is this a strength or weakness?

  strength
• who is the research evidence from?

  Solms (2000)
• what did Solms do?

  used PET scans to highlights regions of the brain that are active during dreaming
• what did the results show?

  rational part of the brain (EGO) is inactive during REM sleep (rapid eye movement) whereas areas concerned with memory & motivation are very active
• what do the findings mean according to Freud's theories?

  EGO (rational & conscious thought) becomes suspended while ID (more primitive, unconscious part of mind) is given free rein
• therefore this is a strength because...

  demonstrates Freud's idea that during sleep the ego defence mechanisms are lowered
• what do the lowered ego defence mechanisms lead to?

  our unconscious thoughts come to light & can be analysed with dream analysis
• what is another source of further research evidence?

  Hopfield et al (1983)
• what was Hopfield's research on?

  neural networks (computer systems were modelled on the human brain)
• what did the computer systems show?

  that neural networks deal with an overload memory by condensing memories
• what do the findings support?

  Freud's notion of condensation where unacceptable desires are dealt with by recombining fragments until they emerge in new form (manifest content)