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
In the first of these experiments, which are typical of the whole
group, both of the subject's hands were employed, and a tapping
instrument was arranged above the middle finger of each, as above the
one hand in the preceding experiment, the distance between middle
fingers being fifteen inches. The taps were given either two on the
right hand and the third on the left, or one on the right and the
second and third on the left, the two orders being designated as _RRL_
and _RLL_ respectively. The subject was always informed of the order
in which the stimulations were to be given, so that any element of
surprise which might arise from it was eliminated. Occasionally,
however, through a lapse of memory, the subject expected the wrong
order, in which case the disturbance caused by surprise was usually so
great as to prevent any estimation.
The two types of series were taken under as similar conditions as
possible, four (or in some cases five) tests being taken from each
series alternately. Other conditions were the same as in the preceding
work. The results for the six subjects employed are given in Table IV.
TABLE IV.
_ST_= 5.0 SECS. TWO HANDS. 15 INCHES.
Subject. Average RT. No. of Series.
RRL. RLL.* (Table II.)
_Hs._ 4.92 6.55 (5.26) 50
_Sh._ 5.29 5.28 (5.34) 50
_Mr._ 5.02 6.23 (5.25) 60
_Mn._ 5.71 6.71 (6.19) 24
_A._ 5.34 5.89 (5.75) 28
_Sn._ 5.62 6.43 (5.47) 60
*Transcriber's Note: Original "RRL"
From Table IV. it is apparent at a glance that the new condition
involved introduces a marked change in the time judgment. Comparison
with Table II. shows that in the cases of all except _Sh_ and _Sn_ the
variation _RRL_ shortens the standard subjectively, and that _RLL_
lengthens it; that is, a local change tends to lengthen the interval
in which it occurs. In the case of _Sh_ neither introduces any change
of consequence, while in the case of _Sn_ both values are higher than
we might expect, although the difference between them is in conformity
with the rest of the results shown in the table.
Another set of experiments was made on subject _Mr_, using taps on the
middle finger of the left hand and a spot on the forearm fifteen
inches from it; giving in one case two taps on the finger and the
third on the arm, and in the other one tap on the finger and the
second and third on the arm; designating the orders as _FFA_ and _FAA_
respectively. Sixty series were taken, and the values found for the
average _ET_ were 4.52 secs, for _FFA_ and 6.24 secs, for _FAA_, _ST_
being 5.0 secs. This shows 0.5 sec. more difference than the
experiment with two hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account