title: Is dream recall underestimated by retrospective measures and enhanced by keeping a logbook? An empirical investigation.
abstract: In a recent review, Aspy, Delfabbro, and Proeve (2015) highlighted the tendency for retrospective measures of dream recall to yield substantially lower recall rates than logbook measures, a phenomenon they termed the retrospective-logbook disparity. One explanation for this phenomenon is that retrospective measures underestimate true dream recall. Another explanation is that keeping a logbook tends to enhance dream recall. The present study provides a thorough empirical investigation into the retrospective-logbook disparity using a range of retrospective and logbook measures and three different types of logbook. Retrospective-logbook disparities were correlated with a range of variables theoretically related to the retrospective underestimation effect, and retrospective-logbook disparities were greater among participants that reported improved dream recall during the logbook period. These findings indicate that dream recall is underestimated by retrospective measures and enhanced by keeping a logbook. Recommendations for the use of retrospective and logbook measures of dream recall are provided.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus, Level 4 Hughes Building, SA 5005, Australia. Electronic address: denholm.aspy@adelaide.edu.au.
authors.forename: Denholm J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Aspy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004325:Dreams / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dream diaries; Dream recall; Methodology; Self-report methods