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
The memory image almost without exception, when first recalled, was
located in the direction and at the distance of the object presented.
In moving from the center to right and left the image remained in the
same plane with a few exceptions; in moving up and down it moved on an
arc whose center was at the eye. This was especially true of the
downward motion, which was almost always to a greater distance than
any of the other motions.
C., D., F. and H. felt the need of a support for the image in any
except the central position. This was true especially of the position
above the center, but was entirely overcome by practice by C., F. and
H., and partially by D. In movements where time was to be recorded,
the distance was from six to eighteen inches, but the image could be
carried by all the eleven subjects to any part of the room or beyond
the room. Usually the method followed was to fix the attention on the
suggested position and then the image appeared there, sometimes
complete at the outset, but usually in part at first, then developing
instantly to completion. When the subject was requested to trace the
image _in transitu_, this could usually be accomplished, but the time
was much longer. Frequently, in such a case, the image was lost during
the last third or fifth of its journey. J. "felt conscious of a
something that went in the suggested direction but did not develop
details out of this material; had to await development of the image at
the new locality." "At times _forced_ this development out of the
vague something that seemed to go over." G. had 'no feeling of
transition in space.' K. did not perceive the image _in transitu_. I.
perceived the image _in transitu_ when the movement was away from the
center but when the image was to return to the center its passage was
too quick to be followed; 'it came out at the center.'
J. noticed that in moving from the center the image took a curved path
towards himself, and that the position _to_ which the image moved
always seemed further away than the position _from_ which it came, but
the new position seemed to be readjusted when the next movement
occurred.
The return to the center seemed easier to all the subjects except G.,
who was conscious of no difference between the movements with respect
to ease. Several described the return to the center as like the return
of a small ball snapped back by a stretched elastic cord.
With D. a suggestion of weight in the perception of the object was a
hindrance to moving its memory image. Also the image of a short piece
of brass tubing persisted in rolling off the table and along the floor
and could not be held stationary. Other objects rotated rapidly, and
much effort was needed to 'slow down' the rotation and to bring the
objects to rest and keep them at rest.
II. CHANGES OF COLOR OF A SINGLE IMAGE.
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