Psychology : $b A study of mental lifeWoodworth, Robert Sessions
Science
Psychology : $b A study of mental life
Woodworth, Robert Sessions
Psychology
Along with the search for elementary sensations goes identification of
the stimuli that arouse them, and also a study of the sensations
aroused by any combination of stimuli. Our task now will be to ask
these questions regarding each of the senses.
The Skin Senses
Rough and smooth, hard and soft, moist and dry, hot and cold, itching,
tickling, pricking, stinging, aching are skin sensations; but some of
these are almost certainly compounds. The most successful way of
isolating the elements out of these compounds is to explore the skin,
point by point, with weak stimuli of different kinds. If a blunt metal
point, or the point of a lead pencil, a few degrees cooler than the
skin, is passed slowly over the skin, at most points no sensation
except that of contact arises, but at certain points there is a clear
sensation of cold. Within an area an inch square on the back of the
hand, several of these _cold spots_ can be found; and when the
exploration is carefully made, and the cold spots marked, they will be
found to give the same sensation every time. Substitute a metal point
a few {198} degrees warmer than the skin, and a few spots will be
found that give the sensation of warmth, these being the _warmth
spots_. Use a sharp point, like that of a needle or of a sharp
bristle, pressing it moderately against the skin, and you get at most
points simply the sensation of contact, but at quite a number of
points a small, sharp pain sensation arises. These are the _pain
spots_. Finally, if the skin is explored with a hair of proper length
and thickness, no sensation at all will be felt at most points,
because the hair bends so readily when one end of it is pressed
against the skin as not to exert sufficient force to arouse a
sensation; but a number of points are found where a definite sensation
of touch or contact is felt; these are the _touch spots_.
No other varieties of "spots" are found, and the four sensations of
touch, warmth, cold and pain are believed to be the only elementary
skin sensations. Itch, stinging and aching seem to be the same as
pain. Tickle is touch, usually light touch or a succession of light
touches. Smooth and rough are successions of touch sensations. Moist
is usually a compound of smooth and cold. Hard and soft combine touch
and the muscular sensation of resistance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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