Subjects were instructed to synchronize finger tapping with visual signals of various frequencies. It was found that breathing rate became entrained t.o tapping rate if the latter fell within a range of two breaths per minute of the subject's previous breathing rate. Entrainment did not occur when the subject merely monitored the visual stimuli but only during performance of tapping. The effect occurred without subjects' awareness and was observed only in the absence. of deliberate adjustments in respiratory frequency on the part of the subject. Temporal restrictions on the neural events responsible for motor output appear to be responsible for the phenomenon.The brainstem respiratory centers emit a periodic output to the respiratory muscles. The frequency of this output is set by metabolic and mechanical factors, so that humans at rest maintain adequate alveolar ventilation with minimal output of muscular energy (Campbell, Agostoni, & Davis, 1970). Resting respiratory frequency can be adjusted, however, through a rather wide range with negligible change in the total work of breathing (Mead, 1960;Otis, Fenn, & Rahn, 1950), on the long term by an increase in tidal volume, and for a few successive breaths by a subthreshold change in blood O2 tension. When such changes in breathing rate are nonrandom, they have functional Significance in terms of other behaviors of the organism.The behavioral control of breathing is well known in an active organism-certain behaviors alter breathing patterns for prolonged periods of time, and in some cases the tempo of movements sets the frequency of respiratory rhythms. During playing of wind instruments or speaking, the individual must adopt a breathing pattern which permits both the performance of the task and the meeting of metabolic needs (Bouhuys, 1964; Bunn & Mead, 1971). In exercise requiring rhythmic body movements, respirations often become synchronized with the movements of other parts of the body (Asmussen, 1964;Astrand, 1970; Christensen, 1932).In an organism at rest, however, when metabolic demand is not altered, the question of whether or not other periodic motor events might entrain breathing rate to their own frequency has not previously been addressed. In this paper, we manipulate the frequency of a motor act employing small muscles not involved in respiration and monitor the frequency and timing of respiration in an otherwise resting subject.John Thomas Wilke's present address is: Western Ohio Branch Campus, Wright State University, Celina, Ohio 45822. Cecil A. Rogers' present address is : Department of Psychology, Augusta College, Augusta, Georgia 30904. METHODSFour male college-age volunteers served as subjects. Each was told that the purpose of the experiment was to determine his ability to tap at certain rhythms and that this in tum would reflect his musical and dancing aptitudes. He was also told that it would be necessary to monitor his level of relaxation and that the only equipment available was the pneumotachograph mouthpiece. A nose clip was used.Tidal...

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The present study investigates the effect of pronounceability (P), as rated by Ss, on anagram solution probability under two levels of difficulty (D) Mayzner & Tresselt (1965) presented evidence that there is no difference in solution times of word and non-word anagrams. This discrepancy of results suggests that perhaps an alternate approach is needed to elucidate the problem of word vs. non-word anagrams.It is reasonable to consider words more pronounceable than non-words. It is equally reasonable to consider some non-words more pronounceable than other nonwords. In light of the Beilin & Horn (1962) and Ekstrand & Dominowski (1965) findings, it is suggested that pronounceability (P) may interfere with word anagram solution. If this is the case, it follows that P should have a similar, though perhaps reduced, effect on the solution of non-word anagrams. For example, if one takes two anagrams of equal letter order difficulty and Thorndike-Lorge frequency, e.g., crove (solutioncover) and mcusi (solution-music), Ssshouldrate crove higher in P than mc u s i. Differences in solution probabilities may then be attributable to P. This study investigates the effect of P, as rated by Ss, upon the probability of solution of non-word anagrams under two levels of difficulty (D), or number of letters moved. Method Materials. Thirty Thorndike-Lorge AA nouns were randomly chosen as potential solution words from a list of five-letter nouns beginning with consonants. Sixty anagrams (30 one-letter move and 30 two-letter move problems) were then constructed by E so as to lend themselves easily to division into high pronounceability (HP) and low pronounceability (LP) categories.Psychon. Sci., 1966. Vol. '" (10) JOHN A. HEBERT AND CECIL A. ROGERS, JR.UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Two hundred and ten Ss then rated the 60 anagrams on a 1 to 5 scale for P (low to high). Each S rated a list of 10 anagrams presented in a random sequence or its inverse. All lists contained expected HP and LP problems. Each anagram was rated by 35 Ss. This procedure yielded four types of anagrams: (1) HP oneletter move or "easy" anagrams (HP-E), (2) HP twoletter move or "hard" anagrams (HP-H), (3) LP oneletter move anagrams (LP-E), and (4) LP two-letter move anagrams (LP-H). The 10 items having the smallest variance in each of the four categories of anagrams were then selected for one of four lists, since no overlap in ratings of the expectedHP and LP items occurred.The HP-E list, (e.g., patin, crove, and larbo with solutions-paint, cover, and labor) had a mean Prating of 4.66, and a range of 4.91 to 4.34, while in the HP-H list (e.g., rocut, sumic, anddoblowithsolutions-court, music, and blood) the mean=4.59, and range = 4.94 to 4.29. In the LP-E list (e.g., sgaru, mcusi, and trnai with solutions-sugar, musiC, and train) themean=2.29,and range = 2.63 to 1.86, while iIi the LP-H list (e.g., drkni, ifgth, and mnoye withsolutions-drink,fight, and money) mean = 1.98, range = 2.57 to 1.45. Some of the solutions, e.g., sugar, were used in more than one list. Note

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