A Survey of Emotional Content of Dreams Recalled by College Students

Abstract

Dream diaries, narrative descriptions of five dreams and the selection from an emotion checklist of the two strongest emotions in each dream, were turned in during a 5-wk. period by 13 male and 18 female undergraduates. No significant differences were found in the emotional content of dreams of male and female undergraduates. A chi squared analysis of the combined data showed that the emotions of interest, fear, surprise, enjoyment, and distress were the most prominent ones while anger, shame, disgust, and contempt were the least prominent. The results generated by the dream diary—emotion checklist methodology were compared to and contrasted with those of other studies of dream emotions.