University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Division
The Self of My Dreams: A Case Study of Self-Concept Development in Dream States
Major
Psychology
Department
Psychology
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Jonathan S. Gore
Mentor Department
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Fowler, Carole M., "The Self of My Dreams: A Case Study of Self-Concept Development in Dream States" (2024). University Presentation Showcase Event. 29.
https://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2024/undergraduate/29
Abstract
For many people, experiences in dream states feel disconnected, incoherent, and often meaningless. Our burgeoning research program has identified a subpopulation who instead has dream experiences similar to those in their waking state, allowing for a coherent and contextualized self-concept to develop. The purpose of this case study was to examine how our participant’s dream diary data map onto self-concept assessments his dream and waking states. The participant completed a 34-day dream diary, then a series of self-concept assessments regarding his waking and dream self-concepts. Two research assistants then coded the content of his diary entries, linking the content to dream and waking self-aspects. The results revealed that his waking and dream self-concepts contained highly contextualized content, but with similar self-structures that focus mainly on personal attributes, close others, and skills. Locations, however, were more likely to mentioned as self-descriptive in his dreams. Overall, this suggests that our participant has an elaborate and contextualized dream self-concept, with a similar latent self-structure as his waking life.
Presentation format
Poster
The Self of My Dreams: A Case Study of Self-Concept Development in Dream States
For many people, experiences in dream states feel disconnected, incoherent, and often meaningless. Our burgeoning research program has identified a subpopulation who instead has dream experiences similar to those in their waking state, allowing for a coherent and contextualized self-concept to develop. The purpose of this case study was to examine how our participant’s dream diary data map onto self-concept assessments his dream and waking states. The participant completed a 34-day dream diary, then a series of self-concept assessments regarding his waking and dream self-concepts. Two research assistants then coded the content of his diary entries, linking the content to dream and waking self-aspects. The results revealed that his waking and dream self-concepts contained highly contextualized content, but with similar self-structures that focus mainly on personal attributes, close others, and skills. Locations, however, were more likely to mentioned as self-descriptive in his dreams. Overall, this suggests that our participant has an elaborate and contextualized dream self-concept, with a similar latent self-structure as his waking life.
