Abstract
In this study the hypothesis, put forward elsewhere, that dreams are functional through the erasure of ‘incidental’ and weakly represented information was indirectly explored. 12 subjects were presented paired-associate word lists during each Stage-2 period of their sleep. According to the erasure-hypothesis these associations are destroyed during the subsequent dream if their representation is weak. Two effects might be expected. Firstly, associations which are formed during the last Stage-2 period (which is not followed by a dream-stage) will not be destroyed. Secondly, a stimulus frequency threshold-effect could be expected. Associations which are repeatedly presented (more often than a certain critical number) might become strong enough to withstand the ‘erasure.’ In the present study no indication was found for the latter expectation but a significant effect was found for those associations presented during the last Stage-2 period. Furthermore, there was suggestive evidence that sleep-rehearsal (of previously learned associations) yielded long-term effects.
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