Does REM mentation reflect emotional memory? Assessing dreams with a modified Emotional Stroop Task

Abstract

Previous research has found evidence of relationships among sleep states and memory sources. However, the use of text-analysis of dream reports limits the validity of measures of emotion. In order to determine whether dreams reflect emotionally significant memories, a new technique for measuring the emotional significance of dream imagery to the dreamer was designed (using a modified emotional Stroop task). Results support the idea that sleep mentation imagery (most likely from REM) may reflect emotional memory, and suggest that modified cognitive tasks (such as the Emotional Stroop) may serve as novel methodological approaches for studying sleep mentation.