(3) The empty spaces between the elements have no conscious part to
play in the experience. Even when there is a figure in the alternate
space, it comes very little into consciousness as part of the
repetition, yet it is alterations in these alternates which make or mar
the feeling of repetition. A series may not be beautiful in itself, but
if the alternates are regular, it _feels_ repeated. _Vice versa_, the
units may be enjoyable in themselves, but they do not feel repeated
unless the alternates are regular and conform to certain requirements.
In the units lies the _meaning_ of the repetition, in the regular
alternates the possibility of its expression.
(4) The rhythmic character of repetition is not felt by a certain type
of subject, when it goes smoothly. When a variation is made which would
destroy any possible rhythm, its lack is felt, and its violation finds
expression only in rhythmic terms.
(5) More violation is done to a series to have the _size_ of units
varied than the filling. (This corroborates previous experiments.)
(6) A certain amount of ignoring and regrouping can be done by the
subject. The series is not taken exactly as given, but with selective
attention.
(7) In a series of different elements alternating, the most prominent
one is chosen for the major unit, and the others for alternates. This
prominence is more influenced by _size_ than any other factor, but may
be due to intrinsic interest of any kind.
(8) The major and minor elements must have a certain difference from
each other, both in _appearance_ and _interest_, and they must be
different enough for the difference to be easily perceived, but not
enough to be incongruous. They must differ in interest enough, so that
one is easily more prominent than the other, or may be made subservient
to the other, in the apperception.
(9) Variations are pleasant in the principal unit repeated, but not in
the alternating figure unless very slight indeed, or affecting only
secondary parts of the figure, not the main lines.
(10) Not the time actually spent on a unit makes it more or less
prominent, but the feeling of more or less "energy" expended on it.
_Ends:_ In an alternating repetition, must the series end on a light or
heavy beat? That is, must the major or minor unit be on the end?
To test this a series of strings was hung in which a group of three
alternated with a single string.
[Illustration: Fig. 23]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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