Research on Mood and Dreams

[eXistenZ]

[b]Following an idea by Ex Nine and the ensuing brief discussion, I post here a brief questionnaire. The hypothesis is illustrated below the questionnaire, to avoid any influence on the respondent. I didn’t opt for the polling system available, since – as you’ll see- I put different items for two different constructs to get some scale validity. Thanks for participating! QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy 2. I try to find something to win boredom 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities 4. Most of the time I feel sad 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams 3. My dreams are nightmares 4. A night with no dreams is a good night 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream END OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE The research is explorative and it aims to verify any correlation between the typical mood of the daytime and the mood of the dreams. According to the results, the dream may emerge as a compensation for a bad day, for instance, or a continuation of it. eXistenZ

[Howie]

QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy 2. I try to find something to win boredom (1) 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities (7) 4. Most of the time I feel sad (2) 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting[/color] Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy (4) 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams (5.5) 3. My dreams are nightmares (4) 4. A night with no dreams is a good night (1) 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream (1) END OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

[Ex Nine]

What does "win boredom" mean? It sounds contradictory. Sorry, I'm not exposed to phrase much.

[eXistenZ]

Originally posted by Ex Nine What does \"win boredom\" mean? It sounds contradictory. Sorry, I'm not exposed to phrase much. I mean: one is bored and s/he tries to overcome boredom. My mother tongue is not English: any suggestions on improvement is welcome, thanks. eXistenZ

[Ex Nine]

No, that's alright, I understand now. It's probably just me. 1. (5) 2. (5) 3. (4) 4. (1) 5. (5) 1. (3) 2. (6) 3. (3) 4. (1) 5. (2)

[kimpossible]

The scale Howetzer quoted is inverted from the scale in the post. So before I respond - which is the correct scale?

[eXistenZ]

Originally posted by kimpossible The scale Howetzer quoted is inverted from the scale in the post. *So before I respond - which is the correct scale? They seem the same, anyway please answer to the original scale in my post. Thank you and thanks to the other respondents. I hope to get many answers to share with you all. eXistenZ

[Howie]

Originally posted by kimpossible The scale Howetzer quoted is inverted from the scale in the post. *So before I respond - which is the correct scale? There is nothing inverted about it. The scale is copied in verbatim. So as eXistenZ said," They seem the same, anyway please answer to the original scale in my post. Thank you and thanks to the other respondents. I hope to get many answers to share with you all. "

[funky_chicken182]

Good Idea Howetzer! Ok here it is. 1. Most of the time I feel happy (5) 2. I try to find something to win boredom (4) 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities (to me 5) (to others 3) 4. Most of the time I feel sad (2) 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting (2) 1. My dreams are happy (6) 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams (7) 3. My dreams are nightmares (1) 4. A night with no dreams is a good night (1) 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream (5) Some of those were worded kind of weird you might want to redo them.

[eXistenZ]

[b]I posted the questionnaire in the General Discussion Forum too, following Ex Nine's suggestion. In fact, I collected 4 more filled questionnaires. I hope for more. As to now I gathered 7 in total. Although the number is still too low, interesting patterns seem already to emerge. As to the day emotions, the responses clearly indicate two (unexpected) factors: 1. Activation, doing something to be happy and excited (and its opposite) 2. Happiness, regardless what one does (and its opposite) These two factors are separated and their items aggregate well. Cronbach's Alpha (a reliability measure for scales) is 0,795. I built the questionnaire taking into account only happiness/sadness, but interestingly activation/passivity popped up. For a scale with just five items it is an interesting preliminary result. As to the dream emotions, first of all each respondent agree that a night with no dream is not a good night. This would show that the subjects wish to have dreaming experiences, regardless the emotions involved (even negative ones). The remaining 4 items aggregate well (Cronbach's Alhpa 0,809) in one factor that would measure happiness/sadness of one's average dream experience. As to now, no correlation measures between the three factors show to be significant, but it is likely due to the small number of data. Anyway, what seems to emerge as a preliminary result is a two-clusters structure of the data: - Cluster "Active Sad": Active during the day, but sad both in the day and the dreams - Cluster "Quietly Happy": Not very active in searching for exciting things during the day, but (or because of) happy both in the day and in their dreams Looking at how the items were phrased, I would guess that the first cluster represents those who feel somehow bored and try to overcome sadness by being active and excited when awake. The second cluster would show serene subjects who do not need to engage in any particular activity to be pleased. eXistenZ

[kimpossible]

Originally posted by eXistenZ [b][color=indigo]QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy 2. I try to find something to win boredom 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities 4. Most of the time I feel sad 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams 3. My dreams are nightmares 4. A night with no dreams is a good night 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream END OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE 1A. 6 2A. 7 - (N/A. I don't get bored.) 3A. 7 4A. 1 5A. 1 1B. 7 2B. 4 3B. 2 4B. 1 5B. 1 ------------ Consider also normalizing for gender?

[AlternateReality]

Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy 2. I try to find something to win boredom[/color] 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities[/color] 4. Most of the time I feel sad[/color] 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting[/color] Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy[/color] 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams[/color] 3. My dreams are nightmares[/color] 4. A night with no dreams is a good night[/color] 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream[/color]

[Gwendolyn]

QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy 6 2. I try to find something to win boredom 7 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities 7 4. Most of the time I feel sad 1 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting 1 Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy 5 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams 7 3. My dreams are nightmares 3 4. A night with no dreams is a good night 1 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream 1

[PhowaBoy]

Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy =4 2. I try to find something to overcome boredom = 5 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities = 4 4. Most of the time I feel sad = 2 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting = 2 Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy = 6 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams = 6 3. My dreams are nightmares = 2 4. A night with no dreams is a good night = 2 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream = 2

[eXistenZ]

Originally posted by kimpossible 2A. 7 - (N/A. I don't get bored.) My English is not fine here, as funky_chicken182 noted too: item 2 is not clear. It may be interpreted as \"I never get bored, so I don't try to overcome boredom\" or \"I feel bored, thus I try to overcome boredom\". It's a typical mistake for questionnaires. Originally posted by kimpossible Consider also normalizing for gender? Searching for differences betweeen the two is a good idea. If I get enough answers the analysis can be enriched also in that sense. eXistenZ

[danbarber]

QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy=4 2. I try to find something to win boredom=4 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities=3 4. Most of the time I feel sad=6 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting=6 Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy=2 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams=6 3. My dreams are nightmares=1 4. A night with no dreams is a good night=1 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream=1 END OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

[cocoastar]

QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy 4 2. I try to find something to win boredom 6 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities 5 4. Most of the time I feel sad 3 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting 3 Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy 6 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams 6 3. My dreams are nightmares 2 4. A night with no dreams is a good night 1 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream 2

[Worlds Within]

1. Most of the time I feel happy - 6 2. I try to find something to win boredom - 6 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities - 6 4. Most of the time I feel sad - 1 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting - 2 1. My dreams are happy - 6 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams - 6 3. My dreams are nightmares - 1 4. A night with no dreams is a good night - 1 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream - 3

[Lutch]

QUESTIONNAIRE Please think about your typical day and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. Most of the time I feel happy= 5.5 2. I try to find something to win boredom=6 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities=5 4. Most of the time I feel sad=3 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting=2 Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy= 5 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams= 4.5 3. My dreams are nightmares=1 4. A night with no dreams is a good night=1 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream= if it means fealing emotion towards the dream (1) if it means while im dreaming (6-7) END OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE

[Lutch]

5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream= crap i meant that i dont feel emotion after the dream but if im convinced by the sotry line during the dream then yes so in the dream = 6-7 after the dream = 1

[italianmonkey]

1. Most of the time I feel happy 6 2. I try to find something to win boredom 6 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities 4 4. Most of the time I feel sad 2 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting 4 Please think about your typical dreams and answer to the following items with a number from 1 (total disagreement) to 7 (total agreement): 1. My dreams are happy 4 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams 4 3. My dreams are nightmares 2 4. A night with no dreams is a good night 1 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream 2

[hyper_angel]

A. 1. Most of the time I feel happy (6) 2. I try to find something to win boredom (7) 3. Usually I am immersed in interesting activities (6) 4. Most of the time I feel sad (2) 5. I do not find activities that are really attracting (1) B. 1. My dreams are happy (5) 2. I am eager to sleep, so I can have dreams (7) 3. My dreams are nightmares (2) 4. A night with no dreams is a good night (1) 5. I do not feel any emotion in particular in my dream (2)