Natural selection shaped motivational systems to produce behaviors that increase survival and reproductive fitness during waking life. A dream production mechanism that reflects these motives and simulate them repeatedly in a variety of scenarios during sleep would have increased the probability of survival and reproductive success. A thematic analysis of 900 dream reports suggest that dreaming is a simulation of ancient social motives to rehearse functional behavior aimed at satisfying these motives, and thus provide support to the social motive simulation hypothesis of the function of dreaming.

Gender differences, in social studies and science achievement, in a technology-enhanced learning environment were examined from a group of 474 (males=237 and females=237) first-time 8th grade test takers from one primary school district. Unequal variance independent samples t-tests were used to test the magnitude of gender differences. Female students received significantly greater social studies achievement than males, but there were not significant differences in science achievement scores. Achievement assessments for students with assigned laptops showed significant gender differences in social studies, but not in science.