Freud vs. Hobson & McCarley
Starter: Refer back to the following table – complete this table by answering the
following questions below. Please note: Your three columns need to be evenly sized.
Issue
Methodology
What methods or types of tests are used to gather data?
Objectivity
Is the theory subjective or objective? Do the researchers
views affect the information gathered?
Credibility
Does the theory comes from evidence we can accept?
Why?
Dreams are meaningful
Does the theory suggest that dreams have any meaning?
Nature-nurture
Does the theory suggest that dreams are something we
are born with, why? Or does the theory suggest that
dreams are something we learn?
Freud’s theory
Hobson & McCarley’s
theory
Freud vs. Hobson & McCarley
Issue
Methodology
Freud’s theory
Hobson & McCarley’s theory
Uses case studies and dream analysis.
Uses scanning (EEG) and experiments
(on cats).
Objectivity
Objective, as it uses scientific
Subjective, as the meaning of dreams
measures such as scanning (EEG) and
needs interpreting.
experiments on cats.
Credibility
Lacks credibility because of lack of
Has credibility because of the
scientific methods and unlikely
scientific methods used and evidence
explanation
(e.g.
sexual
from animal studies.
interpretations).
Dreams are
meaningful
Dreams have meanings with the story
Dreams have no meaning – they are
giving
symbols
as
clues
to
random and meaningless.
unconscious wishes and desires.
Both nature and nurture – having a
Nature – dreaming is part of the way
Nature-nurture powerful unconscious is nature and its
the brain and body work.
contents are nurture.
Freud vs. Hobson & McCarley
Issue
Methodology
Freud’s theory
Hobson & McCarley’s theory
Uses case studies and dream analysis.
Uses scanning (EEG) and experiments
(on cats).
Objectivity
Objective, as it uses scientific
Subjective, as the meaning of dreams
measures such as scanning (EEG) and
needs interpreting.
experiments on cats.
Credibility
Lacks credibility because of lack of
Has credibility because of the
scientific methods and unlikely
scientific methods used and evidence
explanation
(e.g.
sexual
from animal studies.
interpretations).
Dreams are
meaningful
Dreams have meanings with the story
Dreams have no meaning – they are
giving
symbols
as
clues
to
random and meaningless.
unconscious wishes and desires.
Both nature and nurture – having a
Nature – dreaming is part of the way
Nature-nurture powerful unconscious is nature and its
the brain and body work.
contents are nurture.
Finally…

Explain the difference between Freud’s theory of dreaming and Hobson
and McCarley’s theory of dreaming in terms of the nature-nurtue debate
(4 marks).

Compare and contrast Freud’s and Hobson & McCarley’s theories of
dreaming in terms of their methodology including issues of credibility and
objectivity? (6 marks).

Hint: Do not write one paragraph on each! Compare and contrast each point.
Therefore you need to write sentences as follows:

Freud used … methods and … in his theory of dreaming in comparison to Hobson
and McCarley (1977) who used …