“Gender, sex role orientation and dream recall frequency”: Correction.

Reports an error in "Gender, sex role orientation, and dream recall frequency" by Michael Schredl and Olaf Lahl (Dreaming, 2010[Mar], Vol 20[1], 19-24). In the article, a third author was not listed in the byline and some acknowledgment information was also missing: Third Co-Author: Anja S. G?ritz, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. The name appears in this record. Additional Acknowledgment: We thank the operators of the sites www.panopia.de, www.yougov.de, and www.studivz.net for providing participants. This work was in part supported by DFG grant GO 1107/4-1 to G?ritz. The online version of the article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-05656-002.) Recently, a large meta-analysis showed that women tend to recall their dreams more often than men. Despite this robust finding, studies focused on explaining the gender difference in dream recall frequency are scarce. The present findings of an online survey indicate that sex role orientation—expressivity/femininity—was related to dream recall frequency but did not fully explain the gender difference in dream recall frequency. Future studies should investigate other variables—in addition to sex role orientation—like verbal memory, recall of emotional experiences, and/or frequency of talking about emotional matters that might play a role in explaining the gender difference in dream recall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Explaining the gender difference in dream recall frequency.

A recent meta-analysis showed a substantial and robust gender difference in dream recall frequency of medium effect size, that is, women tend to recall their dreams more often than men. The question arises as to what factors might explain this difference. Two previous studies indicate that interest in dreams plays an important role. The present study found a significant effect of frequency of nocturnal awakenings and interest in dreams on the gender difference in dream recall frequency. In addition, neuroticism and depressive mood were associated with the gender difference on the aspects of a dream recall scale and interest in dreams. Longitudinal studies are necessary to validate the present findings, especially regarding their causality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability and stability of dream recall frequency.

Although a large number of studies investigating factors affecting dream recall frequency (DRF) have been carried out, research investigating the reliability and stability of DRF is scarce. Dream diaries of 196 participants kept over at least 28 days were analyzed. The results of the present study indicate that a time period of 2 weeks was sufficient to obtain reliable measurements of interindividual differences in DRF. Despite the high day-to-day fluctuations of dream recall, the stability of this variable was very high. Studies that investigate the stability of DRF by means of other methodological approaches (e.g., questionnaire scales, laboratory awakenings) and over longer time periods (e.g., 1 year) should be carried out to complement the present findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interest in dream interpretation: A gender difference.

Although several studies reported a significant effect with regard to the gender difference in an interest in dreams, the generalizability of these studies is limited because mainly students were recruited as participants. In this study, gender differences with regard to interest in dream interpretation as an indicator of interest in dreams in general have been demonstrated in a representative sample. There was, however, a significant age-gender interaction, indicating that interest in dreams might not be a potent variable for explaining gender differences in dream recall. In future studies, the course of interest in dreams over the life span and any associated gender differences should be investigated using carefully designed scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Facilitating dream recall in Chinese people.

The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of dream recall in Chinese people and to develop nonintrusive procedures to facilitate dream recall. Guidelines for remembering dreams (dream recall instructions) were established based on a review of the existing literature on dream recall and its associated factors. The efficacy of the dream recall experience was explored using this procedure in neurologically healthy individuals. One hundred seventy Chinese participants were included in the study: 100 received the dream recall instructions, and 70 did not. The recall instructions were shown to be effective in triggering dream recall in the participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reading books about dream interpretation: Gender differences.

The vast variety of books on dreamwork and dream interpretation suggests that a considerable percentage of the general population is interested in reading these books. Empirical research in this area is relatively scarce. The present representative survey (N = 2,019) indicated that about 8% of the general population have read about dream interpretation in order to learn more about their dreams, with women reading about dream interpretation more often than men. This gender difference was not explained by differences in dream recall frequency. In addition, single people as well as people with high nightmare frequencies read about dreams more often. Future research should focus on the possible benefits of reading about dream interpretation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of mood congruency memory effects in dream recall: A pilot study.

A methodological issue in research relating daytime mood to dream content is the question of whether mood congruency effects—that is, recalling more negative events if the current mood is more negative—also play a role in the dream recall process. This study adopted an indirect approach by testing the hypothesis that interindividual differences in mood congruency effects in a memory task carried out in the daytime correlate with mood congruency effects in dream recall (recalling more negative dream emotions, as one would predict on the basis of the current stress level or overall mood state). The findings, however, did not support the hypothesis of mood congruency effects and, thus, rule out that the findings regarding the continuity hypothesis of dreaming are biased by selective recall. Studies with different methodological approaches are necessary to validate this study’s findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender role conflict and the process and outcome of dream work with men.

The current study evaluated how men with variable levels of gender role conflict responded to single-session, therapist-facilitated dream work using the C. E. Hill (1996, 2004) model of dream work. Overall, men reported positive benefits from participating in the dream session, similar to data in other studies. Men who reported higher gender role conflict on the Gender Role Conflict Scale discussed related gender role conflict themes during dream work, although gender role conflict was not related to session outcome. Reasons for these results are explored, and ideas for future research are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of a two-week reflection-intention training program on lucid dream recall.

Previous research in the field of lucid dreams has produced several techniques which are claimed to be a means of inducing lucid dreams, but there have been only a small number of reported studies which have evaluated their effectiveness. The present study investigated the effects of one of the most promising of these, the reflection-intention technique, which is specifically designed to increase the frequency of dream and lucid dream recall. The sample here consisted of 20 participants whose frequencies of normal dream recall and lucid dream recall were recorded before, during and after a two week training program by using a dream questionnaire and a dream journal: A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase in both dream recall frequency (F2,38 = 22.09, p2,38 = 5.96, p     

Dreaming and insomnia: Polysomnographic correlates of reported dream recall frequency.

This study assesses which polysomnographic variables are associated with changes in reported dream recall frequency in patients meeting diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia. Data analyzed included sleep latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time in REM, time in sleep stages (1&2 vs. 3&4), and periodic limb movement. For the grouping meeting ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia, a significant decrease in dream recall was found compared to the noninsomniac group. A decline in polysomnographic sleep quality was associated with a decline in reported dream or nightmare recall frequency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender differences in dreams: Applications to dream work with male clients.

Differences between the dreams of men and women have been a topic of interest and research in the field of dream science. This article focuses on three such gender differences in dreaming, namely, dream recall frequency, sex of dream character and dream aggression. For each gender difference, a review of literature is presented, along with a discussion of possible causes for the difference between genders. In addition, suggestions are made for applications to clinical practice with a focus on gender-specific dream work strategies for work with male clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive differences in dream content between Argentine males and females using quantitative content analysis.

This study asked the question, "Are there significant content differences between male and female dream reports obtained in seminars conducted in Argentina?" Each of the 100 female and 100 male participants contributed one recent dream report during dream seminars held in Argentina between 1990 and 1998. Dream reports were scored using Hall and Van de Castle's System of Content Analysis. Major findings revealed that Argentine males reported significantly more aggressions per character and a higher percentage of dreamers as the aggressor than reported by females. They also reported more dreams with at least one success than reported by females. In contrast, females scored significantly higher on both the Self-Negativity index and the Negative Emotions index compared to males. Although some findings were similar to past studies using American participants, others were unique to this study and may be attributable to the particular sample used, or may suggest actual underlying cultural patterns of contemporary Argentine men and women. Results are discussed in terms of Hall's continuity hypothesis and Domhoff's cognitive model of dreaming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief communication: Gender and sex: Vive la difference

The distinction prevalent in the social sciences between the terms sex and gender is a useful one and ought to be preserved. Sex refers to the anatomical or chromosomal categories of male and female. Gender refers to socially constructed roles that are related to sex distinctions. Use of these terms as synonyms is becoming increasingly frequent in physical anthropology, especially among bioarchaeologists and primatologists. A failure to make the distinction between gender and sex is analytically incapacitating in a field such as physical anthropology, whose strength lies in the integration of biological and cultural information. Am J Phys Anthropol 106:255–259, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Rehearsal of dreams and waking events similarly improves the quality but not the quantity of autobiographical recall.

Salient dreams are often discussed and ruminated upon over time, especially when they feature in dream work or therapy. The present study investigated the effects of rehearsal over time on dream memories, as compared to memories for waking experiences. Participants were instructed to complete a dream and waking episodic event diary over two weeks. A rehearsal group (n = 27) were instructed to read through their reports after recording them. A control group (n = 28) were instructed not to look at their reports. A surprise recall task demonstrated that rehearsal reduced significantly the detail of dream, but not waking event, reports. It maintained episodic richness for dreams. Furthermore, rehearsed dream and event reports corresponded significantly more closely with original reports than controls. These data indicate that while rehearsal may not increase dream recall over time, it may influence the phenomenology of memories that are subsequently recalled, such that a rehearsed memory is subsequently recalled, rather than the original experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender role behavior in children with XY karyotype and disorders of sex development

Children exhibit gender-typical preferences in play, toys, activities and interests, and playmates. Several studies suggest that high concentrations of pre- and postnatal androgens contribute to male-typical behavior development, whereas female-typical behavior develops in the absence of high androgens levels. This study aims to explore the consequences of hypoandrogenization on gender-typical behavior in children who have an XY karyotype and disorder of sex development (DSD). Participants included 33 children (ages 2-12 years) with an XY karyotype and DSD; 21 reared as girls and 12 reared as boys. Children's preferred activities and interests and playmate preferences were assessed with parent report questionnaires, a structured free-play task, and choice of a toy to keep as a gift. Participant's responses were compared to those of children recruited in a pre-school and elementary school survey (N=166). In this study, the degree of hypoandrogenization as indicated by genital stage and diagnosis showed a significant relationship to nearly all of the gender-related behaviors assessed, supporting the hypothesis that masculinization of gender role behavior is a function of prenatal androgen exposure. Despite the fact that children with partial androgen effects reared as girls showed increased "boyish" behaviors, they did not show increased signs of gender identity confusion or instability on a group level. We conclude that androgen exposure plays a decisive role in the development of gender-typical behavior in children with XY karyotype and DSD conditions.     

Influence of gender and age in aggressive dream content of Spanish children and adolescents.

This study investigated the aggressive components of the dream content of 120 Spanish children and adolescents of 4 different age groups. The C. S. Hall and R. L. Van de Castle (1966) coding system was used to rate the number of dream characters and aggressions, and the content findings were analyzed via the indicators presented by G. W. Domhoff (1993, 1996, 2003). Results confirm the findings of previous studies of gender and age differences in dream content: Boys tend to have more aggressive dream content, which tends to decrease with age until reaching a pattern similar to the normative group; younger children, especially boys, tend to be victims of aggression more frequently than do older children. In addition, a data analysis procedure involving cumulative scoring of the aggression scale as well as nonparametric statistics yielded significant differences between boys and girls of the youngest group for severity of aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seasonal sex role changes in the blenniid Petroscirtes breviceps, a nest brooder with paternal care

The plasticity of the sex roles in the blenniid fish Petroscirtes breviceps , a nest brooder with exclusive paternal care, was studied throughout an 8 month breeding season. Males performed most courtships early and late in the breeding season, whereas females performed most in the middle of the season. These results indicated that the sex of individuals initiating courtship changed seasonally, with courtship role reversal in the middle of the season. Intrasexual aggression in both sexes occurred much more frequently in mid-season than in the early and late seasons. Males frequently fought when available nest sites were limited, regardless of the presence of females, suggesting that males competed for nests in order to qualify to mate (resource competition). In contrast, courting females fought only in mid-season, when females' relative success in entering nests decreased, indicating that females competed for limited mating opportunities (mating competition). The reversed courtship roles and female mating competition in mid-season suggested that the sex roles in P. breviceps changed seasonally from the conventional roles to reversed roles and back again during one breeding season. This study provides the first empirical evidence of multiple changes in the sex roles of animals within a breeding season.     

Operational sex ratio,reproductive costs,and the potential for intrasexual competition

Even though numerous metrics exist, we still appear to be far from a consensual view on the best way of measuring or predicting the potential strength of sexual selection. One of the earliest and simplest metrics devised was the operational sex ratio (OSR) (i.e. the ratio between sexually active males and females in a population), and even, if heavily criticized, the OSR can still be viewed as a valuable measure of the potential levels of intrasexual competition. Because this ratio is influenced by the time that individuals spend in the mating pool, the OSR depends on our ability to determine who is indeed ready to mate. Moreover, because the proximate effects of OSR on mate monopolization might not be immediately apparent, we should be prepared to account for its association with the conditions making selection favour traits that reduce the time needed to acquire additional mating opportunities. Using the worm pipefish as a working model, we conducted a more stringent calculation of the OSR by eliminating individuals that, although present, do not appear to be able to reproduce, as determined by an analysis of female size classes with immature or spent ovaries and male classes without pregnancy events. Accordingly, the OSR was not only capable of correctly highlighting the potential for intrasexual competition, but also was able to translate the desertion of individuals from the mating pool as the breeding season progressed into meaningful correlations with variables associated with reproductive investment and costs (i.e. gonad investment and energy reserves). As demonstrated, the predictive power of the OSR can be broader than anticipated, depending primarily on our ability to effectively discriminate which individuals are indeed ready to mate. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 110 , 477–484.     

Family affiliation,sex ratio and sporophyte frequency in unisexual mosses

Patterns of sex expression and sex ratios are key features of the life histories of organisms. Bryophytes are the only haploid‐dominant land plants. In contrast with seed plants, more than half of bryophyte species are dioecious, with rare sexual expression and sporophyte formation and a commonly female‐biased sex ratio. We asked whether variation in sex expression, sex ratio and sporophyte frequency in ten dioecious pleurocarpous wetland mosses of two different families was best explained by assuming that character states evolved: (1) in ancestors within the respective families or (2) at the species level as a response to recent habitat conditions. Lasso regression shrinkage identified relationships between family membership and sex ratio and sporophyte frequency, whereas environmental conditions were not correlated with any investigated reproductive trait. Sex ratio and sporophyte frequency were correlated with each other. Our results suggest that ancestry is more important than the current environment in explaining reproductive patterns at and above the species level in the studied wetland mosses, and that mechanisms controlling sex ratio and sporophyte frequency are phylogenetically conserved. Obviously, ancestry should be considered in the study of reproductive character state variation in plants. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 174 , 163–172.