Key Studies

• What is Hobson and McCarley's 1977 theory?

  Activation-synthesis theory is a neurobiological theory that uses brain functioning to explain dreaming
• Strengths and weaknesses of the activation-synthesis theory of dreaming (Hobson & McCarley)

  + Strong evidence was used

  + Using animals to study brain function has the strength of being able to experiment in a way that is unethical to humans

  - Evidence from animals is not necessarily relevant or generalisable to humans

  - When reporting dreams, people can often link them to the events of the day before

  - The 1977 theory was built on so it did not stand the test of time