The structural relations between the superego, instinctual affect, and dreams

Abstract

This study aims to establish a structural equation model that explains the relations between instinctual emotions, superego functions, and dream experiences. The personality traits and dream characteristics of 596 Chinese young adults were assessed by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales, Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Dream Intensity Scale, and Dream Motif Scale. The analyses show that each instinctual emotion has a distinct pattern of associations with dream experiences. For instance, feeling the need to nurture or to be needed is associated with dreams featuring erotomania. On the other hand, feeling sadness is more related to dreaming about the crisis of being unable to safeguard the ego ideal. Echoing the neuropsychological perspective, the structural equation modeling analyses suggest that dream experiences are facilitated by both pleasant and unpleasant emotions and suppressed by superego functions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)