Factors Related to Behavioral Control by Stimuli Presented During Sleep

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two experiments are presented concerning the control of learned behavior by stimuli presented during sleep. The rule of associative and nonassociative factors was assessed in Experiment 1. Group I was tested to demonstrate that, following instructions during wakefulness, subjects would terminate tones presented during sleep by taking a deep breath. To determine the likelihood of spontaneous responses during the tone, two groups were tested following the same instructions but with tones omitted on every trial (Group II) or every other trial (Group III). To determine whether breathing responses might be due to tone‐elicited arousal. Group IV was tested without instructions to make the breathing response. Reliable responding was found only for Group I. Experiment 2 concerned within‐ and across‐night patterns of responsiveness under the procedure investigated in Experiment 1. Subjects were tested for either 4 consecutive or 4 nonconsecutive nights. Response latencies increased within nights and also across nights with a greater rate of increase on consecutive nights. The data are discussed in relation to the importance of understanding the effects of behavioral demands during sleep.