DESCRIPTIVE TECHNIQUES 123 



that events which are capable of order must bear a certain 

 type of relation to one another. This relation must be 

 (a) asymmetrical. A relation is asymmetrical when the 

 order of terms is significant, i.e., when an interchange of 

 the terms would produce a relation-complex incompatible 

 with the original. For example, if a substance A scratches B, 

 then B cannot scratch A; or if X is longer than Y, then 

 Y cannot be longer than X. The relation must also be 

 (6) transitive. A relation is transitive when, if it holds 

 between P and Q, and between Q and R, it then holds be- 

 tween P and R. A transitive relation is one which has a 

 carrying-over power. For example, if a substance A scratches 

 B, and B scratches C, then A scratches C, or if X is longer 

 than y, and Y is longer than Z, then X is longer than Z. 

 The presence of this common property and such an order- 

 ing relationship permits the members of the class to be 

 arranged into a series. Events have not only membership 

 in the class, but position. For example, hard objects may be 

 arranged in a series, beginning with A which scratches all 

 other members, and ending with, say K, which is capable 

 of being scratched by all members — all other members being 

 properly placed between. Also all lines may be arranged 

 on the basis of length. In the same way events may be 

 arranged according to weight, size, temperature, specific 

 gravity, melting point, etc. Each event capable of such 

 arrangement possesses a relational property by virtue of 

 which the ordering is possible. When this property has 

 been conceptualized, the event may be placed in its proper 

 position in the series. The placing in a series is, of course, a 

 mental operation, though it may take on pictorial representa- 

 tion as well, as in the case of museum displays. 



Correlating may be described as the operation of repre- 

 senting the association or the connection of events. Events 

 have the property of occurring together, and thus uniting 

 into complex events. Usually the "togetherness'' implies 

 proximity in time and space, though remote events may be 

 connected by intermediate events. The presumption of any 



