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 t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Dreaming (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 113 - 118
Main Authors:	Schredl, Michael, Hebel, Manuela E, Klütsch, Rosemarie C, Liehe, Lena J
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Educational Publishing Foundation 01-06-2009
Subjects:	Dream Content Dream Recall Emotional States Female Human Male Memory mood memory dream recall
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	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.
ISSN:	1053-0797 1573-3351
DOI:	10.1037/a0016295