[Footnote S: In a special series of experiments a subject was
instructed to execute rapid head movements as minute and as evenly
as possible. These were registered objectively and at the same time
I made judgments concerning them. The results showed that my
judgments were most exact in the case of the most minute jerks. The
thing that made it especially easy to judge the movements of Mr. von
Osten under normal conditions, (page 220), was their extraordinary
evenness, such as I have not met with in any other individual.]
Let us now turn to a discussion of the several figures.
Figure 6 (von Allesch) gives a typical view of the great, and at the
same time economic concentration of attention characteristic of the
subject. Respiration (first curve) is not so profound as usual, yet is
changed very little. The head-jerk (fourth curve) is of medium height.
It occurs just at the proper moment,--the subject had thought of 2, and
had directed his attention economically. This attention was of the kind
described as type I on page 93. The lowering of the head, (recorded in
the figure by a rise in the curve), immediately following upon the
head-jerk upward, is irrelevant.
In figure 7 (Chaym) we have a record of a different nature. Respiration
was inhibited throughout the test,--(the small waves are due to the
pulsating of the heart); immediately after the test deep breathing takes
place. Tension steadily increased till 3, the number expected, was
reached. The head, accordingly, gradually sank a little forward. The
head-jerk ensued during an interval beginning just before the reaching
of the goal and ended immediately after. The movement was predominantly
backward, its upward direction being only through a distance of 1/4
millimeter. (This subject was not so strongly motor as the preceding
one.) The reaction followed promptly as seen in curve 6. It was the
decided raising of the head which follows the head-jerk, that prevented
the usual back-step with the left foot, when the subject was working
with Hans.
[Illustration: FIG. 6.]
[Illustration: FIG. 7.]
Figure 8 (von Manteuffel) is typical of strong and at the same time
economical concentration. Respiration, normally deep and very regular,
is for a time completely inhibited. Tension rises steadily and the head
gradually inclines forward. In the interval between the number before
the final one and the final one the subject makes a sudden bend forward
and immediately upon reaching the final number gives a violent jerk of
the head, upward. The attention here would be characterized as being of
type III, described on page 94. (Owing to lack of space it is impossible
to give an example of type II, which is only to be found in the case of
very large numbers.)
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