Abstract
The present research involves the methodological strategy of investigating sleep by determining an individual’s reaction to extrinsic stimulation. Particularly, the investigation was concerned with whether or not the onset character of an auditory stimulus was an important parameter in precipitating changes in the pattern of electroencephalographic activity occurring during sleep. The results indicated that stimulus onset is an important parameter but only during sleep characterized by slow-wave electroencephalographic activity. In this respect, the effects of stimulus onset are similar to the effects of psychological loudness. The results are also discussed in relation to the effects of stimulus onset when awake individuals are exposed to auditory stimuli, and, again similar to psychological loudness, the data from awake individuals is not predictive of an individual’s reaction during sleep.
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This research was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Research Grant NGL 34-002-095. T. E. LeVere, N. Davis, and Jeanne Mills are members of the Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, and Elliott H. Berger and William F. Reiter are members of the Center for Acoustical Studies, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The authors wish to thank D. Miller for her assistance in preparing this report.
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LeVere, T.E., Davis, N., Mills, J. et al. Arousal from sleep: The effects of the rise-time of auditory stimuli. Psychobiology 4, 213–218 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326582
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03326582