Related Experiment Videos
Nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, and anxiety
Tammy T Nguyen1, Samara Madrid, Hazel Marquez
1Department of Psychology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192-0120, USA.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|October 9, 2002
Summary
Nightmare frequency and distress are linked to anxiety dimensions in university students. This finding supports older research, contrasting with more recent studies suggesting no such correlation.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Nightmares are distressing sleep disturbances.
- Previous research has yielded conflicting findings regarding the relationship between nightmares and anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between nightmare frequency and distress with dimensions of anxiety.
- To replicate and extend prior findings on nightmares and anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Utilized self-report data from 300 university students.
- Analyzed the correlation between nightmare frequency/distress and anxiety dimensions.
Main Results:
- A significant relationship was found between nightmare frequency and anxiety.
- Nightmare distress also showed a significant correlation with dimensions of anxiety.
- These results align with Hersen's (1971) findings.
Conclusions:
- Nightmare frequency and distress are significantly associated with anxiety in university students.
- The findings contradict the conclusions of Wood and Bootzin (1990).
- Further research may clarify the complex relationship between sleep disturbances and anxiety.