Delusions and the factor structure of typical dreams

Abstract

The present study was geared toward generating a parsimonious factor model of typical dreams. Moreover, the hypothesis that themes typically manifest in psychotic delusions also prevail in normal people's dreams was examined. The modified Typical Dreams Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 348 university students from Hong Kong. The factor solutions generated by the current analyses indicate that typical dreams can be classified into three primary categories or six subcategories according to the two-tier model. Consistent with the homology between dreaming and psychosis, the first two categories of the upper tier are, in essence, characterized by the two classic psychotic themes—the grandiose and persecutory delusions. The third category of dream themes consists in the distinctive affective experience that can be, one way or another, attributed to the function of the ego ideal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)