To sleep, perchance to To sleep, perchance to dream:dream:

The Relationship Between The Relationship Between Dreams and CreativityDreams and Creativity

Kristi HelmkampKristi Helmkamp

Angie MillerAngie Miller

Current dream researchCurrent dream research

Cognitive model: dreams as Cognitive model: dreams as recombination of memories recombination of memories (Stickgold et al., 2001)(Stickgold et al., 2001)

Links to other realms of research: Links to other realms of research: relationship between dream recall relationship between dream recall frequency and Openness (Blagrove frequency and Openness (Blagrove & Akehurst, 2000)& Akehurst, 2000)

Influences of dreamsInfluences of dreams

Qualitative study of American Qualitative study of American artists found dreams can be artists found dreams can be influential in the creative process, influential in the creative process, both directly and indirectly (Gaines both directly and indirectly (Gaines & Price-Williams (1990)& Price-Williams (1990)

Suggested that dreams model the Suggested that dreams model the free association that is part of free association that is part of creative process (DeAngelis, 2003)creative process (DeAngelis, 2003)

CreativityCreativity

Divergent thinking model: outside bounds Divergent thinking model: outside bounds of normal functional thinking (Baer, 1993)of normal functional thinking (Baer, 1993)

Relationships found between creativity and Relationships found between creativity and – Openness (Taggar & Simon, 2002)Openness (Taggar & Simon, 2002)– Dream recall frequency (Wolcott & Strapp, Dream recall frequency (Wolcott & Strapp,

2002)2002)– Dream detail (Wolcott & Strapp, 2002)Dream detail (Wolcott & Strapp, 2002)– Positive attitudes about dreams (Domino, 1982)Positive attitudes about dreams (Domino, 1982)

Underlying Theoretical Underlying Theoretical AssumptionsAssumptions

Creativity is something in which individuals Creativity is something in which individuals actively engageactively engage

Creativity is defined as divergent thought Creativity is defined as divergent thought processes processes – There are multiple expressions of creativity, There are multiple expressions of creativity,

such as visual and verbalsuch as visual and verbal Some of these expressions are considered Some of these expressions are considered

consciousconscious Other expressions of creativity may be Other expressions of creativity may be

considered nonconscious, for example, considered nonconscious, for example, dreams dreams

HypothesisHypothesis

Individuals high in creativity, Individuals high in creativity, understood as divergent understood as divergent thinking in the visual and thinking in the visual and verbal domains, will have verbal domains, will have dreams high in creativity.dreams high in creativity.

ParticipantsParticipants

16 participants completed all 16 participants completed all measuresmeasures– 14 Intro. Psych classes (given extra 14 Intro. Psych classes (given extra

credit)credit)– 2 Volunteers2 Volunteers– 4 male, 12 female4 male, 12 female– Ranging in age from 18 to 22Ranging in age from 18 to 22

MethodsMethods

Dream journalDream journal Unusual uses testUnusual uses test Collage-making task (Baer, 1993)Collage-making task (Baer, 1993)

Dream JournalDream Journal

Methodologically better for Methodologically better for examination of content (Blagrove examination of content (Blagrove & Akehurst, 2000)& Akehurst, 2000)

10 days, at least 3 dreams10 days, at least 3 dreams Randomly selecting one dream Randomly selecting one dream

from each participantfrom each participant

Coding ManualCoding Manual

# of “bizarre” # of “bizarre” elementselements

# of references to # of references to speakingspeaking

# of settings# of settings # of people# of people # of vivid details# of vivid details # of colors # of colors

referencedreferenced # of animals# of animals # of inanimate # of inanimate

objectsobjects

Sample Dream Coding Sample Dream Coding WorksheetWorksheet

Subject Subject ##

SettingSettingss

PeoplePeople ColorColor ObjectsObjects AnimalAnimal Vivid Vivid DetailDetail

Bizarre Bizarre ElemenElementt

25425411

55 1212 11 1010 22 4545 33

33233211

11 33 00 11 00 1616 00

12312344

44 66 00 55 11 3333 11

Coding Manual ReliabilityCoding Manual Reliability

Used dreams not included in the final analysis Used dreams not included in the final analysis to establish reliability of coding manualto establish reliability of coding manual

Used objective coder from Research Methods Used objective coder from Research Methods class to test coding manualclass to test coding manual

Slight modifications were made, such as Slight modifications were made, such as clarifications about ambiguous pluralsclarifications about ambiguous plurals

Then tested a second round of practice dreams Then tested a second round of practice dreams with revised coding manualwith revised coding manual

Each element had reliability of alpha at .95 or Each element had reliability of alpha at .95 or aboveabove

Unusual Uses TestUnusual Uses Test

4 minutes4 minutes Participants asked to generate as Participants asked to generate as

many responses as possible to many responses as possible to question:question:

““What can you do with an What can you do with an objectobject?”?” Table knife, alarm clock, newspaper, Table knife, alarm clock, newspaper,

and cupand cup Measures divergent thinkingMeasures divergent thinking

Coding of Unusual Uses Coding of Unusual Uses TestTest

IDEATIONAL FLUENCYIDEATIONAL FLUENCY Counted number of responses for Counted number of responses for

all four objectsall four objectsIDEATIONAL FLEXIBILITYIDEATIONAL FLEXIBILITY Table knife was the object Table knife was the object

randomly selected for codingrandomly selected for coding Established categories of use for Established categories of use for

responsesresponses

Sample Unusual Uses Coding Sample Unusual Uses Coding WorksheetWorksheet

Ideational Fluency Score Ideational Fluency Score ___6_____6__ (# of responses (# of responses generated)generated)

Ideational Flexibility Ideational Flexibility Categories (add/fill in as Categories (add/fill in as necessary)necessary)

Category #1 Category #1 EatingEating– Spread butterSpread butter– Cut breadCut bread– Spread jellySpread jelly

Ideational Flexibility Ideational Flexibility Score Score __2____2__ (# of (# of categories generated)categories generated)

Category #2 Category #2 HandlingHandling– Pass itPass it– Borrow itBorrow it– Wash itWash it

Reliability of Unusual Uses Reliability of Unusual Uses TestTest

3 independent raters to establish 3 independent raters to establish flexibilityflexibility

Correlations:Correlations:

rater 1 & 2: r=.79, p<.01rater 1 & 2: r=.79, p<.01

rater 2 & 3: r=.73, p<.01rater 2 & 3: r=.73, p<.01

rater 1 & 3: r=.76, p<.01rater 1 & 3: r=.76, p<.01

Fluency and flexibility:Fluency and flexibility:

r=.79, p<.01r=.79, p<.01

Collage-making TaskCollage-making Task

Adapted from Baer (1993)Adapted from Baer (1993) Participants given colored construction Participants given colored construction

paper, scissors, glue stickspaper, scissors, glue sticks 30 minutes to make an “interesting 30 minutes to make an “interesting

design” design”

Rating of CollagesRating of Collages

Basic Design class (art course focused Basic Design class (art course focused on using various materials to construct on using various materials to construct an effective design of piece) agreed to an effective design of piece) agreed to rate collages- 15 student ratersrate collages- 15 student raters

Given instructions to rate on Given instructions to rate on “creativity”“creativity”

Reliability measures:Reliability measures:Raters: alpha= .88Raters: alpha= .88Collages: alpha= .83Collages: alpha= .83

ResultsResults

Original hypothesis was weakly Original hypothesis was weakly supportedsupported

Some findings approaching Some findings approaching significance:significance:– Ideational fluency & Vivid detailIdeational fluency & Vivid detail

r=.47, p=.07r=.47, p=.07

Further FindingsFurther Findings Significant correlations:Significant correlations:

– # of Settings & Ideational Fluency Score# of Settings & Ideational Fluency Scorer=.52, p<.05r=.52, p<.05

– # of Settings & Ideational Flexibility # of Settings & Ideational Flexibility ScoreScore

r=.58, p<.05r=.58, p<.05

– # of People & Ideational Fluency Score# of People & Ideational Fluency Scorer=.50, p<.05r=.50, p<.05

Findings between creativity Findings between creativity measuresmeasures

Ideas linking different domains Ideas linking different domains of creativity were also weakly of creativity were also weakly supportedsupported– Collage & Ideational flexibilityCollage & Ideational flexibility

r=.44, p=.09r=.44, p=.09

DiscussionDiscussion

The trend of our results suggests a The trend of our results suggests a positive relationship between positive relationship between divergent thinking in the verbal divergent thinking in the verbal domain and the content of dreams domain and the content of dreams as represented through vivid detailas represented through vivid detail

Discussion cont.Discussion cont.

Although we chose vivid detail as a Although we chose vivid detail as a main representation of creative main representation of creative dreams, the relationships between dreams, the relationships between the elemental aspects of setting and the elemental aspects of setting and people with ideational fluency and people with ideational fluency and flexibility suggest that dreams flexibility suggest that dreams containing a wide variety of elements containing a wide variety of elements reflect creativity in the sense of reflect creativity in the sense of divergent thinking.divergent thinking.

Discussion cont.Discussion cont.

Collage and ideational flexibility Collage and ideational flexibility approaching significance, which shows approaching significance, which shows link between visual and verbal link between visual and verbal divergent thinkingdivergent thinking– Liberal arts campusLiberal arts campus

This is a movement towards supporting This is a movement towards supporting our theoretical assumptions of creativity our theoretical assumptions of creativity as having multiple expressions in which as having multiple expressions in which individuals actively engage.individuals actively engage.

LimitationsLimitations

Small N: only 16 participantsSmall N: only 16 participants Only including one dream may not Only including one dream may not

be representativebe representative Need to explore appropriate Need to explore appropriate

measures for dream output: visual measures for dream output: visual vs. written verbalvs. written verbal

Future ResearchFuture Research

Use established coding manual to Use established coding manual to investigate inherent differences, investigate inherent differences, such as age and gender, in a such as age and gender, in a larger, more diverse samplelarger, more diverse sample

Develop method to align collection Develop method to align collection of data from the visual to the of data from the visual to the verbally writtenverbally written– A more comprehensive measure of A more comprehensive measure of

creativity in dreamscreativity in dreams

Questions?Questions?

ReferencesReferencesBaer, J. (1993). Baer, J. (1993). Creativity and divergent thinking: A task-specific Creativity and divergent thinking: A task-specific

approachapproach. Hillsdale, New Jersey: L. Earlbaum Associates.. Hillsdale, New Jersey: L. Earlbaum Associates.Blagrove, M. & Akehurst, L. (2000). Personality and dream recall Blagrove, M. & Akehurst, L. (2000). Personality and dream recall

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44-46.44-46.Domino, G. (1982). Attitudes towards dreams, sex differences, and Domino, G. (1982). Attitudes towards dreams, sex differences, and

creativity. creativity. Journal of Creative BehaviorJournal of Creative Behavior, 16(2), 112-122., 16(2), 112-122.Gaines, R., & Price-Williams, D. (1990). Dreams and imaginative Gaines, R., & Price-Williams, D. (1990). Dreams and imaginative

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Stickgold, R., Hobson, J.A., Fosse, R., & Fosse, M. (2001). Sleep, learning, Stickgold, R., Hobson, J.A., Fosse, R., & Fosse, M. (2001). Sleep, learning, and dreams: Off-line memory processing. and dreams: Off-line memory processing. ScienceScience, 294(5544)., 294(5544).

Taggar, S. (2002). Individual creativity and group ability to utilize Taggar, S. (2002). Individual creativity and group ability to utilize individual creative resources: A multi-level model. individual creative resources: A multi-level model. Academy of Academy of Management JournalManagement Journal, 45(2)., 45(2).

Wolcott, S., & Strapp, C. (2002). Dream recall frequency and dream detail Wolcott, S., & Strapp, C. (2002). Dream recall frequency and dream detail as mediated by personality, behavior, and attitude. as mediated by personality, behavior, and attitude. DreamingDreaming, 12(1), , 12(1), 27-44). 27-44).