Professor of the Month
November 2010 Professor of the Month:
Dr. Don Kuiken
Interview by Chris Lefebvre
What research projects are you currently involved in?
There are a few, in various stages of completion. One that is just finished is a meta analysis on dreams with people who have experienced loss and trauma. That one has a longitudinal design. I am also doing a study on the same topic but in a cross sectional design and in collaboration with another professor.
Another one I am involved in is a study that investigates the immediate response (15s after wake-up) to figurative/metaphorical aspects of their dreams.
Also, I am co-supervising 4 grad students that each have their own study.
What was your Ph. D research on?
I actually have my training in social psychology. I was looking at group processes. Investigating how groups change over time and how individuals change their autonomy and dependency in relationships within the group.
I was doing a qualitative design which was odd and different at the time.
Currently, I am no longer interested in this field, but this was the beginnings of my interest in non-quantitative research.
How has your career path changed throughout you career and brought you to where you are today?
Well, to start I was in the field of social psychology, I was never satisfied with this field though as I didn’t think it tapped into the complexities of peoples experiences. I found it limiting and constricting. My research in dreams started in the 80’s, but I had always been very interested in phenomenological philosophy and literary studies and although I’m in the psychology department, I feel as if my interests still lie in that field. My work in that area started in the 90’s. With my dream research, I have linked my two interests; dreams and phenomenological philosophy in terms of reader response to literary texts.
I feel I have fleshed out interests I’ve had for a very long time.
Talk a bit about your dream studies class and what it’s all about?
This year the class is different than it was before, now it’s much more of a mixture of a prescriptive and independent learning style. It’s prescriptive in that I will often give the students the resources they need and tell them what they need to look for and where to find it. And it’s independent in that there’s a large paper due in my class that is very open for them to be creative and independent in the research they do.
What has been your craziest dream?
Well, this is a very personal question, I’ve had many dreams that have had an immense impact on my life. They have heavily contributed to my interest in dreams. Some of my dreams have been painful and have re-oriented me in certain life directions in terms of relationships, work, and life in general. Dreams matter to me.
Talk a bit about your Psychology of aesthetics class and what it’s all about?
Well this field of study is very interdisciplinary and diverse. In this course we are addressing the problem of articulating the theory of expression by closely following a book by Jennifer Robinson called articulating a theory of expression.
Describe your typical work day?
I’m a late sleeper...so my day doesn’t start until about 8:30 when I go for a latte and read for an hour. This reading though isn’t directly involved with my research and doesn’t have any instrumental value to me. So in the business sense I don’t start until about 10:00 in which I either stay at home and work or go to campus. On the days I have classes I come to campus and make sure I’m back by supper time and usually end up working until around 12:00.
If you could fly anywhere in the world for free, where would you go?
Prague. It’s a lovely city.