The results of this experiment were very suggestive. Of nine subjects,
all felt pleasure when allowed to move the eyes over the series at
random; with eyes fixed, five felt their pleasure much altered in
its quality as well as lessened, while with one it was altogether
destroyed. With four, however, although there was considerable
alteration in the quality of the pleasure, its amount was increased
rather than lessened.
B. (1) Average time necessary to enjoy the series: 4.7 seconds.
(2) Three-second exposure. No pleasure, needs more time during
the movement.
(3) Eyes fixed: 4 secs. = Av. time necessary to enjoy it. Lines
bunch toward centre and fade away at sides, giving a kind of
unity, but he feels constraint.
R. (1) Av. time: 4.3. Sees them in pairs.
(2) Two-sec. exposure. Very faint pleasure; feels that only a part
is perceived.
(3) Eyes fixed: 4.3. One pair fixated, the others fade away, making
a kind of figure. Pleasure faint and constrained.
L. (1) Av. time: 2.1.
(2) 1-sec. exposure. Pleasure faint and incomplete. He feels the
pleasure comes from memory of the previous experience.
(3) Eyes fixed: 2.2. Great effort to find any pleasure. It consists
mainly in seeing a few strings, and feeling there are others,
even though they are not distinguished.
V. (1) Av. time: 2.2. Sees them in pairs.
(2) 1.5-sec. exposure. Enjoys the experience in memory after the
eyes are shut again.
(3) Eyes fixed: 1.9. Still sees them in pairs, but cannot see enough
of them, hence they are less pleasant.
W. (1) Av. time: 4.3.
(2) 2-sec. exposure. Not enough time to feel any relation between
the strings, most of the pleasure supplied by the memory.
(3) Eyes fixed: 5.3. Pleasure is very faint, and consists in having
the strings appear to converge to a central point, and fade at
the sides.
J. (1) Av. time: 2.3. Sees them in pairs.
(2) 1.5 exposure. Less pleasant.
(3) Eyes fixed: 2.7. Series seems more like a unity and he enjoys
it more, since no time is spent in exploring the field, but it
is one unified experience.
U. (1) Av. time: 28. Only enjoys it by ignoring all except those in
the centre--does not want so many.
(3) Eyes fixed: 18 secs. Enjoys it when eye lights on one string,
so that the others can fade away equally at the sides, in one
figure.
S. (1) Av. time: 5.
(2) 3-sec. exposure. Less pleasant.
(3) Eyes fixed: 8.8. Pleasure consists in converging of lines toward
central point. It appears like one figure and is more intense
than (1).
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