Psychology

• What is the general aim of the study?

  To investigate the relationship between eye movements and dreaming.
• What is the specific aim regarding dream recall?

  To determine if dream recall differs between REM and NREM stages of sleep.
• What does the second specific aim of the study investigate?

  It investigates whether there is a positive correlation between estimated dream duration and REM period length.
• What is the third specific aim of the study?

  To determine if eye movements are related to the dream content.
• What is the research hypothesis of the study?

  There will be a significant association between REM sleep and dreaming, a positive correlation between estimated dream duration and REM period length, and a significant association between eye movement patterns and dream content.
• What psychometric tool is used to trace brain activity during sleep?

  EEG (electroencephalogram).
• How does an EEG work?

  It traces cyclical changes that occur in brain activity during sleep using electrodes placed around the skull.
• What psychometric tool is used to trace eye movements during sleep?

  EOG (electrooculogram).
• How does an EOG function?

  It traces eye movements during sleep using electrodes placed around the eye region.
• What does REM stand for?

  Rapid Eye Movement.
• What does NREM stand for?

  Non-Rapid Eye Movement.
• What did Aserinsky (1955) reveal about REM sleep?

  Participants woken from REM sleep were more likely to report a vivid, visual dream than those woken from NREM sleep.
• What did Aserinsky's research show about sleep stages?

  It showed that we have several sleep stages alternating between REM and NREM.
• What type of research method was used in this study?

  A laboratory experiment.
• What are the approaches used in the research design?

  1. Natural experiment; repeated measures design; IV - whether they woke up from REM or NREM; DV - whether they recalled a dream or not.
  2. True experiment using correlational study; repeated measures design; IV - waking participants after 5 or 15 minutes into REM sleep; DV - participants guess on dream duration; correlational analysis used to cross-check participants' estimated dream duration and the word count of their respective dream narrative.
  3. Natural experiment; repeated measures design; IV - eye movement patterns; DV - dream content.
• How does the first approach of the research design differ from the second approach?

  The first approach is a natural experiment focusing on dream recall, while the second approach is a true experiment using correlational study focusing on dream duration estimation.
• What is the independent variable (IV) in the first approach of the research design?

  Whether participants woke up from REM or NREM sleep.
• What is the dependent variable (DV) in the second approach of the research design?

  Participants' guesses on dream duration (5 or 15 minutes).
• What type of analysis is used in the second approach to cross-check dream duration estimates?

  Correlational analysis.
• What is the independent variable (IV) in the third approach of the research design?

  Eye movement patterns.
• What is the dependent variable (DV) in the third approach of the research design?

  Dream content.
• How many males and females were recruited in the study?

  7 males and 2 females
• What was the purpose of the opportunity sampling method used in the study?

  To recruit participants who were readily available
• How many main participants spent between 6 - 17 nights in the lab?

  5 main participants
• What was the average number of awakenings for participants who spent 6 - 17 nights in the lab?

  Approximately 50 - 77 times
• How many nights did the other 4 participants spend in the lab?

  1 - 2 nights
• What was the average number of awakenings for participants who spent 1 - 2 nights in the lab?

  4 - 10 times
• How were participants identified in the study?

  By their initials
• What were participants asked to avoid on the day of the study?

  Caffeine and alcohol
• What type of room did participants sleep in during the study?

  A dark, quiet room
• What equipment was used to monitor participants' eye movements?

  EOG electrodes
• How many EEG electrodes were used to monitor participants' brain activity?

  2 or 3 EEG electrodes
• What was the purpose of the doorbell in the study?

  To wake participants up at random from REM or NREM
• When were participants woken up during the study?

  When an eye movement pattern lasted for at least a minute
• How quickly did participants return to sleep after being woken up?

  In less than 5 minutes
• What were the three main procedures followed in the study?

  1. Participants were woken up at various times to test dream recall.
  2. Participants were woken up after either 5 or 15 minutes into REM sleep to guess dream duration.
  3. Participants’ eye movement direction was detected and reported.
• How was dream recall tested in Procedure 1?

  Participants reported if they had a dream and recorded it if the recall was clear
• What was the purpose of using a tape recorder during dream narrative recording?

  To prevent researcher bias
• What determined whether a dream was counted in the study?

  The clarity of the dream recall
• What were participants asked to do in Procedure 2?

  Guess the duration they had dreamt for after being woken up