RECORDS OF MEETINGS OF 1908 483 



Mr. Woodrow stated that the object of his report was to show that reac- 

 tion times for regularly recurring stimuli are considerably less than for 

 irregular, providing the interval between the regularly recurring stimuli 

 is not too long. As regards the effect of the interval, it was found that if 

 the stimuli were irregular, there was very little difference in the reaction 

 time for intervals varying from 0.8 sec. to 10.0 sees., while if the stimuli were 

 given in regular succession the reaction time remained nearly constant for 

 intervals from 0.8 sec. to about 4.0 sees., but increased with intervals longer 

 than 4.0 sees., and at 7.0 sees, was nearly as long for totally irregular stimuli. 



Professor Monroe, in presenting the results of experimental work, said 

 that he had used photographs as the material to be remembered, and that, 

 by varying the conditions, he had determined several of the factors which 

 contribute to the remembering or forgetting of a face once seen. 



Professor Thomdike reported an experiment in which 28 individuals 

 multiplied mentally 95 examples, each consisting of a three-place number 

 with no figure under 3, to be multiplied by a three-place number with no 

 figure under 3. The work was done so as to occupy approximately sixteen 

 days. Measuring the efficiency of the process inversely by the time taken 

 (with an addition for each error of one-tenth of the time per example), it 

 was found that the median improvement for the 28 individuals was such as 

 to give a reduction to 42 per cent, of the initial time. Some individuals 

 improved two and a half times as much as others. The physiological limit 

 for the function in question was, of course, not reached by any one in so 

 short an experiment, but one individual, and possibly another also, did reach 

 a point from which, within the limit of the experiment, no further improve- 

 ment was made. The apparent differences in the change of rate of improve- 

 ment were very great. On the supposition that the change of rate of im- 

 provement was due to one general law plus disturbing factors, the speaker 

 showed what this law would be on each of the two most likely hypotheses. 

 The variability amongst individuals increased in the course of the experiment, 

 at least so far as concerns the differences between the upper quarter and the 

 lower quarter of the 28 individuals. It would appear, therefore, that the 

 experiment offered evidence that the influence of the environment is to 

 accentuate rather than relieve initial inequalities of intellect. The experi- 

 ment also offered evidence that within the field of so-called attention the 

 influence of improvement in one mental function spreads little to other 

 functions than it. 



Dr. Carr gave a descriptive account of 48 cases gathered from a census 

 of 350 students. The phenomenon consists of illusory transitions of the 

 distance location of visual objects in the course of normal experience. The 

 most pronounced fact was the lack of uniformity. The experiences were 



