This study examined whether dreams can be considered narratives in the context of McAdams' model of identity as a life story [1]. Dream reports were collected and scored for intimacy motivation, then compared to more traditional projective and self-report measures. Dreams, autobiographical memories, TAT-type stories, and the Achievement, Affiliation, Dominance, and Nurturance scales of the Jackson Personality Research Form were collected from thirty-two undergraduate subjects. Levels of intimacy in the various measures were consistent with a self-schema model of cognition [2], and the role of dreams within this pattern suggests that dreams can be used effectively as a narrative measure of motivation.
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