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
All the six subjects whose time records appear in Table I. and also
four others whose time was not recorded reported eye movements, or a
tendency to eye movement. A. and K. reported that when the image was
dim there was accommodation as for long vision and when the image was
vivid there was accommodation as for near vision. B. ideated the new
position and the eye movement occurred automatically. G. reported a
contraction of the scalp muscles and a tendency to cast the eyes up
and locate the image at the back of the head inside; this was an
inveterate habit. He reported also accommodation for the different
distances of the image and an after-feeling of strain in the head. H.
reported a strong tendency in the eyes to return to the center,
_i.e._, the original position, and to carry the image back there. All
the subjects frequently reported a sense of relief in the eye muscles
when the command to return the image to the center was given--also, a
tension in the forehead in the upward movement which was accentuated
(with H.) when there was headache. J. reported, 'always eye strain,'
and noticed that the eyes usually turned as far as the new position,
but sometimes stopped short of it. K. reported first an eye movement,
then an ideation of the image in the new position. E. and H. turned
the head to right and left for movements of the image in those
directions. A., B., E. and F. believed that they could inhibit the eye
movement. Subjects were at times unconscious of eye movements. H.
articulated the names of the colors of the image and found that it
aided the movement of the image to say to himself, for example: "Don't
you see that blue square there?"
All but J. reported a loss in vividness and also, though to a less
degree, in distinctness whenever the image was moved away from the
center. J. found no difference. H. reported that details of the object
which were reproduced in the image when at the center were not
discernible in the image in other positions, also that at the left the
image was more vivid than at the right. B.'s memory image of a watch,
three minutes after it was called up, was still so clear that he read
from it the time. E., who was an experienced photographer, had no
difficulty in recalling outline, light and shade, but had difficulty
in reproducing color. I. frequently lost the form in making the
required improvements.
Under manipulation the memory image usually retained its distinctness
and vividness with no loss or with but slight loss when in its
original position, to the end of the five minutes of the experiment.
The image, also, seldom disappeared except for the momentary
disappearances in passing from one position to another, which are
referred to later. Under passive observation of the memory image
disappearances, though of short duration, were frequent and there was
a noticeable fading away of color and loss of outline.
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