"BreaThink": breathing affects production and perception of quantities

Abstract

Cognition is shaped by signals from outside and within the body. Following recent evidence of interoceptive signals modulating higher-level cognition, we examined whether breathing changes the production and perception of quantities. In Experiment 1, 22 adults verbally produced on average larger random numbers after inhaling than after exhaling. In Experiment 2, 24 further adults estimated the numerosity of dot patterns that were briefly shown after either inhaling or exhaling. Again, we obtained on average larger responses following inhalation than exhalation. These converging results extend models of situated cognition according to which higher-level cognition is sensitive to transient interoceptive states.

Keywords: Breathing; Embodied cognition; Interoception; Numerical cognition; Situated cognition.

Fig. 1

Frequencies of random numbers produced after inhalation (orange) vs. exhalation (blue). Error bars indicate ± 1 standard error of the mean

Fig. 2

Average of first order differences (FOD) after inhalation (orange) vs. exhalation (blue). Error bars indicate ± 1 standard error of the mean

Fig. 3

Estimates of dot numerosities given after inhalation (orange line) or exhalation (blue line). Dashed line indicates perfect performance. Error bars represent ± 1 Standard Error of the mean