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 results seem to point to the existence of two distinct factors in
the so-called 'constant error' in these cases: first, what we may call
the _bare constant error_, or simply the constant error, which appears
when the conditions of stimulation are objectively the same as regards
both intervals, and which we must suppose to be present in all other
cases; and second, the particular lengthening effect which a change in
locality produces upon the interval in which it occurs. These two
factors may work in conjunction or in opposition, according to
conditions. The bare constant error does not remain exactly the same
at all times for any individual and is probably less regular in
tactual time than in auditory or in optical time, according to the
irregularity actually found and for reasons which will be assigned
later.
3. The third group of experiments introduced the factor of variation
in intensity of stimulation. By the introduction of a loop in the
circuit, containing a rheostat, two strengths of current and
consequently of stimulus intensity were obtained, either of which
could be employed as desired. One intensity, designated as _W_, was
just strong enough to be perceived distinctly. The other intensity,
designated as _S_, was somewhat stronger than the intensity used in
the preceding work.
In the first instance, sixty series were taken from Subject _B_, with
the conditions the same as in the experiments of Group 1, except that
two types of series were taken; the first two stimulations being
strong and the third one weak in the first type (_SSW_), and the order
being reversed in the second type (_WSS_). The results gave values of
_ET_ of 5.27 secs. for _SSW_ and 5.9 secs. for _WSS_.
In order to get comprehensive qualitative results as rapidly as
possible, a three-second standard was adopted in the succeeding work
and only one compared interval, also three seconds, was given,
although the subject was ignorant of that fact--the method being thus
similar to that adopted later for the final experiments of Group 2,
described above. Six types of tests were given, the order of
stimulation in the different types being _SSS, WWW, SSW, WWS, SWW_ and
_WSS_, the subject always knowing which order to expect. For each of
the six types one hundred tests were made on one subject and one
hundred and five on another, in sets of five tests of each type, the
sets being taken in varied order, so that possible contrast effect
should be avoided. The results were practically the same, however, in
whatever order the sets were taken, no contrast effect being
discernible.
The total number of judgments of _CT_, longer, equal, and shorter, is
given in Table VIII. The experiments on each subject consumed a number
of experiment hours, scattered through several weeks, but the relative
proportions of judgments on different days was in both cases similar
to the total proportions.
TABLE VIII.
_ST=CT=_ 3.0 SECS.
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