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
S E L d S E L d S E L d
SSS 24 13 13 - 11 7 30 13 + 6 10 31 9 - 1
WSS 33 9 8 - 25 20 24 6 - 14 17 27 6 - 11
SSW 19 15 16 - 3 23 16 11 - 12 10 31 9* - 1
WWW 19 12 19 0 13 26 11 - 2 1 40 9 + 8
SWW 18 30 2 - 16 23 21 6* - 17 7 38 5 - 2
WWS 13 16 21 + 8 12 30 8 - 4 15 25 10 - 5
*Transcriber's Note: Original "16" changed to "6", "19" to "9".
Analysis of this table shows that in every case a difference between
the intensities of the first and second taps lengthens the first
interval in comparative estimation. In the case of subject _Mm_ a
difference in the intensities of the second and third taps lengthens
the second interval subjectively. But in the cases of the other two
subjects the difference shortens the interval in varying degrees.
The intensity difference established for the purposes of these
experiments was not great, being less than that established for the
work on the first two subjects, and therefore the fact that these
results are less decided than those of the first work was not
unexpected. The results are, however, very clear, and show that the
lengthening effect of a difference in intensity of the stimulations
limiting an interval has its general application only to the first
interval, being sometimes reversed in the second. From the combined
results we find, further, that a uniform change in the intensity of
three stimulations is capable of reversing the direction of the
constant error, an intensity change in a given direction changing the
error from positive to negative for some subjects, and from negative
to positive for others.
III. INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS.
We may say provisionally that the _change_ from a tactual stimulation
of one kind to a tactual stimulation of another kind tends to lengthen
subjectively the interval which the two limit. If we apply the same
generalization to the other sensorial realms, we discover that it
agrees with the general results obtained by Meumann[15] in
investigating the effects of intensity changes upon auditory time, and
also with the results obtained by Schumann[16] in investigations with
stimulations addressed alternately to one ear and to the other.
Meumann reports also that the change from stimulation of one sense to
stimulation of another subjectively lengthens the corresponding
interval.
[15] _op. cit._ (II.), S. 289-297.
[16] _op. cit._, S. 67.
What, then, are the factors, introduced by the change, which produce
this lengthening effect? The results of introspection on the part of
some of the subjects of our experiments furnish the clue which may
enable us to construct a working hypothesis.
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