Covert oral behavior during conversational and visual dreams

Abstract

Previous findings of heightened covert oral behavior during linguistic activities suggested that increases in covert oral behavior might also occur during conversational dreams. It was found that covert oral behavior (lip and chin electromyograms) was significantly higher during rapid eye movement (REM) periods in which there were conversational dreams than during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) periods. On the other hand, REM periods for the visual dreams showed only minor and nonsignificant changes in covert oral behavior, relative to the NREM periods. Little change occurred for neck responses, suggesting that behavioral changes were localized in the speech region. These findings are thus consistent with those obtained from waking Ss—covert oral behavior may serve a linguistic function during dreams too. © 1971, Psychonomic Journals, Inc.. All rights reserved.