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Led by Sigmund Freud Simulacrum
One of the seven topics of OCR GCSE Psychology — the science of sleep and two opposed theories of why we dream, the Freudian and the activation-synthesis, taught by two voices in contrast.
Led by Sigmund Freud Simulacrum
The question
What is sleep for, and what does a dream mean? You will study the functions and stages of sleep, the role of the pineal gland and melatonin, endogenous pacemakers and exogenous zeitgebers, and the causes of sleep disorders. Then the Freudian theory of dreaming — the unconscious, repression, wish fulfilment, and the manifest and latent content of dreams — and you will tell the story of Freud's 1918 analysis of the Wolfman, before criticising the theory using the issue of subjectivity.
Outcome
You can explain the science of sleep and the Freudian theory of dreaming, tell the story of Freud (1918), and criticise the theory using the issue of subjectivity.
Sub-units
Led by Hobsonian Dreaming Simulacrum
The question
What if a dream carries no hidden message at all? You will study the activation-synthesis theory — REM sleep, the firing of neurons in the pons, the limbic system, and the cortex's synthesis of that activation into a dream — and tell the story of the Williams et al. (1992) study on bizarreness in dreams. You will criticise the theory using the reductionism/holism debate, study the treatment of insomnia through relaxation and sleep hygiene, and contrast activation-synthesis with the Freudian theory.
Outcome
You can explain the activation-synthesis theory, tell the story of Williams et al. (1992), explain the treatment of insomnia, and contrast activation-synthesis with the Freudian theory.
Sub-units