Evaluation: Dement and Kleitman

Evaluation: Dement and Kleitman

1. STRENGTHS

   • Lab experiment
     • control
       • recording device
       • no communication between experimenter and sleeper until after they told dream content
       • weren't told whether they'd been woken up in REM sleep
         • Valid
     • reliable
   • Scientific equipment (EEG and EOG)
     • Valid
   • data
   • Ethics
     • consent

2. DATA

   • Quantative
     • number of dreams in REM and NREM
     • estimate of dream duration
     • eye movement
   • Qualitative
     • dream content

3. SAMPLE

   • 9 participant; 5 studied intensively
     • too small
   • 7 males and 2 females
     • unrepresentative
   • all American adults

4. WEAKNESSES

   • sample
   • Ethics
     • Psychological harm with sleep deprivation
   • Low ecological validity
     • control
     • wires on face
     • not their own bed
   • opportunity sample

5. IMPROVEMENTS

   • sample
     • Bigger so more males and females. Equal amount of males and females

6. USEFULNESS

   • regular occurring REMs every night