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Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Investigation into Deep Breathing through Measurement of Ventilatory Parameters and Observation of Breathing Patterns
Published on: September 16, 2019
"BreaThink": breathing affects production and perception of quantities
Francesco Belli1, Arianna Felisatti2, Martin H Fischer2
1Cognitive Sciences Division, Psychology Department, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany. belli@uni-potsdam.de.
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.
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