Dream recall and autobiographical remembering

Whilst it is generally accepted that most people struggle with recalling dreams and that there are vast individual differences in this ability, it is not known whether this is the result of memory processes or otherwise. Theories of dream generation are largely physiologically based and theories of interpretation (relying upon accurate dream recall) are often unsupported by empirical evidence. This thesis set out to explore dream recall from a cognitive perspective, focusing upon retrieval processes whilst awake. Dream memories display a unique relationship to memory in terms of being composed of memories from daily waking life and in terms of their poor recallability. In order to emphasise the mediating role of memory, the thesis aimed to design a new measure of dream recall, which could then be used to assess the profile of dream memories as compared with normal autobiographical remembering. Experiment 1 involved the design of a new measure of remembering dreams and other memory experiences, through psychometrically validating the Dream Memory Questionnaire (DMQ). This was found to correlate with openness to experience, absorption in imaginings, fantasy proneness, attitudes towards dreams, thin boundaries and dissociative experiences in Experiment 2. Experiments 3 and 4 found no evidence of a relationship between long term recall and recognition memory performance for waking experiences, and the DMQ. Experiments 5-8 therefore investigated dreaming and its relationship to autobiographical remembering of waking experiences. Dreams were less detailed along a host of characteristic measures, in line with previous findings. As dreams were as similarly recallable and recognisable as waking memories (Experiment 7) and displaying a similar recollection trend over the lifespan (Experiment 5), it seemed that those dreams sufficiently encoded upon waking were able to be remembered in a similar way to waking experiences, although their lack of salience likely leads to problems at encoding as well as retrieval. Experiment 8 investigated the effect of rehearsal upon dream and event memory, finding that dream recall frequency (DRF) was unaffected, although it did alter the qualities of recalled memories. Experiments 10-11 explored the centrality of the self in dreams, finding that dreams do reflect “selves”, highlighting that autobiographical memory processing, and so possibly consolidation, is evident across the sleep-wake cycle. These data indicate that dream recall is a largely autobiographical process. Once dreams have been successfully encoded, which is largely difficult due to relative brain deactivation during sleep, dream memories are comparable to waking autobiographical memories despite their unique experiential profile. The results help support a continuity hypothesis of dreaming and waking cognition; dreams seem to reflect memories and the self from waking life. In addition recallability of dreams relies upon the cognitive and memory profile of an individual. Whilst personality traits do seem to account for some of the widespread variance in dream recall, it may be best accounted for together with a consideration of the extent to which a dream memory has been rehearsed. If dream memories traces are present upon waking, they do not seem to be lost as psychodynamic theories would suggest, although they do decay rapidly over time. The presence of the self in dreams indicates that autobiographical processing occurs during sleep, which may reflect consolidation of autobiographical memories. A host of methods have been employed, ranging from experimental computer programmes testing memory performance to content analyses of diary dreams. This has demonstrated that there are many non-invasive methods for investigating dream recall retrieval out of the sleep laboratory. The studies, taken altogether, reflect a relationship between dreaming and memory that is intricate and complex. Adopting a cognitive approach to this field seems to offer hope for the eventual production of a theory of dreaming.