AP Psychology
Dream & Sleep Project (100 points)
Due Date: December 19th
Directions:
For the next 10 days you are to keep a dream journal. Next to your bed, place a pad or a small journal, and
pen or pencil. Just before falling asleep date a page in your journal with tomorrow morning’s date. In the
morning, keep your eyes closed and go over the dream in your mind in as much detail as possible. Be
determined not to fall back asleep. After you open your eyes, immediately write the dream down. Don’t
wait! If you only remember fragments or pieces, write down everything you recall (even if it doesn’t
make sense).
Part 1: Log 7 nights in a row and record the number of hours you sleep
Ex:
Day
Time fell asleep
Time woke up
Total hours of sleep
Monday
9pm
7am
10
Tuesday
10pm
6am
8
Wednesday
10pm
6am
8
After 7 nights add up the total number of hours and divide by 7 to get your average sleep cycle
Record your average night’s sleep. Use the results from your sleep deprivation quiz to compare your
average sleep with that needed. Make predictions about long-term impact. Also predict when your REM
sleep is occurring. Use the hour and a half principle to determine the number of REMS that are occurring.
Use the chart/graph on page 278 in your textbook to help you out with this as well.
Part 2: Record three day dreams. You must record at least three. Include the theme of the daydreams,
location (i.e. 2nd period Physics class), time of day, what you were doing before the daydream started, any
pattern found in the three day dreams such as theme, time of day, boredom, etc.
Use the following criteria to record your data:
Plot
Characters
Colors
Symbols
Part 3: Record one disturbing dream or nightmare that you have had (can be recent or past)
Use the following criteria to record your data:
Plot
Characters
Colors
Symbols
Part 4: Record one childhood dream
Use the following criteria to record your data:
Plot
Characters
Colors
Symbols
Part 5: Record one dream from a family member. Try to ask them early in the morning so that you can get
the most information possible
Use the following criteria to record your data:
Plot
Characters
Colors
Symbols
Part 6: Research and record 25 dream content symbols and their definitions. You may use your textbook,
psychological journals, or online resources to help you out. I suggest that you use symbols that you find
within your own dreams. Discuss what you think about the symbology of dreams and dream
interpretation.
Part 7: Pick 1 Dream (school appropriate!!!)
1. Describe the content of your dream—(manifest content)
2. Analyze your dream using the different dream theories (Table 7.2, page 289)
a. Freud’s wish-fulfillment
b. Activation-Synthesis
c. One additional perspective—choose from the following (you need to understand
them all!)
 Physiological function
 Information Processing Theory
 Cognitive Theory
 Jung’s Archetypes (not on table, so look it up!) (also a very interesting
subject to consider when thinking about pop culture like movies, lit, etc.)
3. Decide which interpretation is the most valid for analyzing your dream and explain why.
4. Include your perceptions about dreams— EX: common themes/emotions; anything you
have discovered about yourself or your dreams, your views about why we dream; etc.
(personal reflection statement!!!)
Part 8: Write a 2 page summary (APA format) of the following
- Your overall experience with the project
- A connection with any activities or events that have happened in your life recently that
effected
o Your sleep patterns (time you went to sleep, hours slept, etc.)
o Your quality of sleep
o Your dreams
- Did you have any dreams that were either identical or similar
o What were they
- Did you tend to have any difficulty remembering your dreams
o Why
Part 9: Select a question about “States of Consciousness” and do some additional research into it in order
to develop an understanding of your topic. Write at least a one page “answer” to your question to share
with the class in a mini-presentation. Example Question: Why/how do we sleepwalk?