Teacher notes-Chapter 7
Major idea
To understand when dreaming occurs, appreciate different ways of interpreting the
meaning of dreams and consider the usefulness of lucid dreams and daydreams
 The basics of dreaming: the most common dreams and when dreams
occur, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye
movement (NREM) sleep

The purpose of dreams: Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic dream theory;
Rosalind Cartwright’s problem-solving theory; and HobsonMcCarley’s activation-synthesis theory

Other forms of dreaming: lucid dreams and daydreams
Sample lesson plans (3 lessons)
Lesson 1: In your dreams
Time Name and type of
Details
activity
25
mins
Survey: How much
sleep did you have last
night?
10
mins
Class notes: Low and
high recallers;
REM and NREM sleep
Survey: Common
dream actions
20
mins
5 mins
Review 7.1
Investigate 7.3
Investigate 7.4
Place each question (in Investigate 7.1, point 1) in a column
on the whiteboard. (Use the entire whiteboard.)
Get students to ‘walk’ along the whiteboard and answer
each question.
Run a class discussion. Look at the results for each question
and gauge the averages.
(Note: This will generate lots of questions and you will find
that most of the information in the chapter is covered by
just responding to the students’ questions.)
(Investigate 7.1)
Give a brief overview of the difference between low and
high recallers; discuss the physiological differences between
REM and NREM and the link to dreaming.
Complete the survey individually, then form groups of four
to six, compare results and discuss the findings. (Investigate
7.2)
Compare the results with those for other countries. (Table
7.1) Report back to the class.
Briefly introduce these homework activities.
Oxford Psychology Year 10 ISBN 978 0 19 556879 0 © Oxford University Press Australia
Comments
Investigate
7.1 (text p.
85)
Investigate
7.2 (text p.
86)
Text p. 87
Table 7.1
(text p. 87)
Review 7.1
(text p. 88)
Investigate
7.3 (text p.
87)
Investigate
7.4 (text p.
88)
Lesson 2: Dream theories
Time Name and type of
Details
activity
20
mins
Polling activity: Do
dreams have meaning?
15
mins
Class discussion: Freud
10
mins
Review previous
findings (Investigate
7.5)
Class discussion:
Problem-solving theory
5
mins
Class discussion:
Activation-synthesis
theory
Mind map: Theories of
dreaming
10
mins
At the end of one wall put a Yes sign, at the opposite end
put a No sign, and in the middle put a Maybe sign.
Ask students to move to a spot on the imaginary line in
response to the question ‘Do you think that dreams have
meaning?’
Ask a few students about their reasons for picking their
spot. Before students sit down, briefly introduce them to
activation-synthesis theory (No); Freud’s theory (Yes),
problem-solving theory (Yes, but don’t need to be
analysed); and even lucid dreaming (maybe).
Find out what students already know about Freud. Ask
them if they have heard of some of Freud’s key terms.
Introduce the theory. Ask the students to check dream
symbols (the dreams from the previous lesson) and look at
criticisms. This always draws debate. They may want to
explore the life and times of Freud and further explore his
theories—this could take the rest of the lesson or more.
Explore the life and times of Freud.
Carry out Investigate 7.5.
Discuss if the saying ‘you’ll feel better in the morning’ has
some truth to it.
Discuss the problem-solving theory and Cartwright’s
research.
You could also look at the supporting evidence and put it
into an evaluation of a study design flowchart. (Website
activity 1.6)
Discuss the activation-synthesis theory.
Create a mind map that considers whether dreams have
meaning. For each theory, include a brief explanation and
support (including research) and criticism.
Oxford Psychology Year 10 ISBN 978 0 19 556879 0 © Oxford University Press Australia
Comments
Text p. 90
Investigate
7.5 (p. 90)
Website
activity 1.6
Lesson 3: Naps, daydreams and in-between
Time Name and type of
Details
activity
Comments
5
mins
Game: What is it?
Internet and
projector
10
mins
Small group discussion:
Lucid dreaming
machines
10
mins
Brainstorm: Why do we
daydream?
15
mins
Small group activity:
Sleep labs and dreams
20
mins
Media response: ‘Better
performance after a
dreaming nap’
Show the class a lucid dreaming machine (Internet search).
Using Yes/No questions only, ask students to ask you
about the device in an effort to find out what it is for.
Brief them about lucid dreaming and the machine at the
end, if you haven’t already!
Discuss the questions.
Briefly report back to class.
List as many reasons for daydreaming as possible on the
whiteboard (but keep it nice!).
Link to how often we daydream and the purposes.
Ask students how daydreams could be studied (e.g. a
mobile phone alert—SMS to researchers if we are
daydreaming when it beeps)
Explore the differences between night and day dreams.
Ask students to discuss whether they would volunteer as a
participant in a sleep lab.
Then consider the advantages and limitations of sleep lab
research.
Read and answer the questions in Investigate 7.6.
Sample ideas for assessment
Research investigation: Investigate 7.3—Dream diary (text p. 87)
Media response: Investigate 7.6—‘Better performance after a dreaming nap’ (text
p. 90)
Visual presentation: Mind map—Theories of dreaming (lesson 2)
Evaluation of research: Sleep and dreaming (Website activity 7.1)
Key terms and concepts
Daydream
Dream symbols
High recallers of dreams
Hobson-McCarley’s activation-synthesis theory
Latent content
Low recallers of dreams
Lucid dream
Manifest content
Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep
Problem-solving theory
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic dream theory
Wish fulfilment
Oxford Psychology Year 10 ISBN 978 0 19 556879 0 © Oxford University Press Australia
Text p. 92
Investigate
7.7 (text p.
92)
Investigate
7.6 (text p.
90)
Supporting website activities
1.6 Evaluation of a study design flowchart (See Teacher notes for Chapter 1)
7.1 Evaluation of research: Sleep and dreaming
Oxford Psychology Year 10 ISBN 978 0 19 556879 0 © Oxford University Press Australia
7.1 Evaluation of research: Sleep and
dreaming
Year 10 psychology
Assessment task
Name:
Total: 20 marks
Please read the following research study. All the questions that follow relate to this
study.
Bob is a student at Inquiring Minds Grammar School and is interested
in dreams. He noticed that since studying sleep and dreaming in
class he has become more aware of his dreams. Previously, he had
never noticed his dreams. He asked some of his classmates about
this and they had all noticed the same thing.
Bob decided to test his idea that studying dreaming in class makes
you more aware of your dreams.
Bob randomly selected 20 students at each year level (Years 7 to 12)
at his school. He then randomly divided the participants into two
groups.
The members of one group were informed that they were going to be
asked about their dreams and to fill out a simple survey in seven days
time (Group A).
The members of the other group were told that they were going to fill
out a simple survey in seven days time. They were not told that the
survey would ask them about their dreams (Group B).
After one week, Bob asked the participants two questions about their
dreams. He collated the results and put them in tabular form. The
results were as follows.
Question
1 Do you dream each
night?
2 Can you recite any
dreams that you have
had in the last week?
Group A (told they were Group B (not told that
going to be asked about they were going to be
their dreams)
asked about their
dreams)
Yes
No
Yes
No
85%
15%
50%
50%
80%
20%
30%
70%
All ethical guidelines were followed in this research study.
Oxford Psychology Year 10 ISBN 978 0 19 556879 0 © Oxford University Press Australia
Questions
1
What was the aim of Bob’s experiment? (1 mark)
2
Write a research hypothesis for Bob’s study (2 marks).
3
Name the independent and dependent variables in this study. (1 + 1 = 2
marks)
4
Who participated in this study? Outline the participant’s details. (1 mark)
5
How were the participants selected to be in this study? (1 mark)
6
The participants were randomly allocated to Group A or Group B. What is
random allocation and why is it important? (2 marks)
7
What was the difference in the procedure between Group A and Group B?
(1 mark)
8
Describe in words the results of the study. (2 marks)
9
Was the research hypothesis supported? What conclusion can be made
from this research study? (2 marks)
10
Outline one potential extraneous variable in this study. Explain how this
variable may have affected the results. (2 marks)
11
Bob followed all the ethical guidelines. Describe two of the ethical
guidelines that Bob followed. (2 marks)
12
Think of a related idea that Bob may like to use for future studies. Outline
this idea. (2 marks)
Oxford Psychology Year 10 ISBN 978 0 19 556879 0 © Oxford University Press Australia