Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1: Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory.
Science
Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1: Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory.
Psychology, Experimental
There were six subjects in experiments conducted during the winter of
1900-1901, and six (five being new ones) in experiments of the fall
of 1901. They were all good visualizers, though they differed in the
readiness with which they visualized respectively form or color.
The experiments of the first few weeks were designed to establish the
fact of control by the subjects over a single visual memory image as
to its position, size, outline, color, movement and presence. In
general it was established that a considerable degree of control in
these particulars existed in these subjects.
Later, two objects were presented at a time, and were such small
articles as a glass ball, a book, a silk purse, an eye-glass case, an
iron hook, and so forth. Still later, colored squares, triangles, or
discs were used exclusively.
The investigation followed these lines: I. Movements of a single
image; II. Changes of color of a single image; III. Movements of two
images in the same and in different directions; IV. Suppression of one
of two images; V. Movements of a single image, the object having been
moved during the exposure.
I. MOVEMENTS OF A SINGLE IMAGE.
The first table gives the time in seconds taken to move voluntarily a
single image (of a colored square or disc) to the right, left, up or
down, and in each case to restore it to its original position. There
were thirty movements of each kind for each of the six subjects,
making one hundred and eighty for each direction and also for each
return, the total of all movements being fourteen hundred and forty.
The distance to which the subjects moved the images was not fixed, but
was in most cases about twelve inches. The time was taken with a
stop-watch, and includes the time between the word of command,
'right,' etc., of the director and the verbal report 'now' of the
subject. It includes, therefore, for each movement two reaction times.
The subject reported 'now' the instant the color reached, or appeared
at, the designated place, not waiting for the completion of the shape
which usually followed. Two of the subjects (H. and K.) took much
longer than the other four, their combined average time being almost
exactly four times the combined average time of the other four.
TABLE I.
MOVEMENTS OF A SINGLE IMAGE.
30 Movements of Each Kind for Each Subject Average Time in Seconds.
To To
Subjects Right Return Left Return Up Return Down Return Averages
B. 1.30 1.07 1.06 1.11 1.13
0.58 0.73 0.46 0.45 0.55
G. 1.44 1.15 0.99 0.82 1.10
0.92 0.89 0.76 0.57 0.78
H. 7.12 6.42 5.96 5.85 6.34
4.51 4.41 4.36 4.40 4.42
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