MENTAL ATTITUDE AND SCHOLASTIC WORK. 679 



most groups of men who undertake diet experiments. Usually, so far as my 

 observation has been, the psychological influences play a very important role 

 in dietetic experiments, particularly in the matter of muscular performance 

 of men under these varied conditions. It is my conviction that the psycho- 

 logical element was less prominent in this experiment, and played a less 

 important role than in any other case which has come to my attention. The 

 men were commonly found to be somewhat irritable; they were 'touchy,' 

 like wild cats. For example, it was necessary for me to speak to two of the 

 men concerning a certain matter. I knew the men well and was surprised to 

 find them so irritable and to act as they did on that occasion. I do not feel 

 sure that all this is absolutely bound up with the change to a reduced diet, 

 but it came about in connection with the experiment. With some men it 

 may have been because of the necessity of getting up earlier, with somewhat 

 less sleep, and other more or less aggravating things in connection with the 

 experimental procedure. I believe you will find that there was no measure- 

 able difference in scholastic work. There was no tendency to try to pass in 

 the fact of membership in Squad A as an excuse, and I believe firmly that there 

 was no leniency on the part of the faculty in consideration of the fact that 

 these men were serving on this squad. Possibly the time and the details in 

 connection with the experiment may have engrossed the minds of some 

 serving as subjects so that they appeared to take less interest in college 

 activities, but in general it must be conceded that their work was normal." 



CONCLUSIONS REGARDING PSYCHOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT. 



From the foregoing notes and comments it must be concluded that 

 although the psj^chological conditions were probably as favorable at 

 the International Y, M. C. A. College at Springfield for an experiment 

 of this kind as would be found anywhere else, still there was a certain 

 amount of opposition (negative suggestion) which had to be met by 

 the men who were on the food reduction. The men could not live by 

 themselves. It seems to us now that arrangements should have been 

 made so that they could have had their meals separated from the other 

 men rather than at a table in one corner of the main dining-room. This 

 would have proved a double advantage : (1) the subjects would not have 

 had continually before them the abundant food placed on other tables 

 for their fellow-students, and (2) the other men could not have known 

 how limited was the quantity of food allowed the low-diet subjects. 

 Their dietetic regime and physical appearance were constantly topics 

 of conversation for their fellows. In the nature of things comment 

 would not be generally favorable or enthusiastic. The subjects were 

 loyal and determined to see the experiment through to the end. Never- 

 theless, the comments of their friends could not but act upon the men 

 as suggestions, and it seems only fair to believe that to some extent at 

 least, these comments gave color to the personal impressions of some 

 of the subjects regarding themselves. The psychological atmosphere,, 

 at least, outside the squad was charged with expectation of trouble. 

 What others saw in them, the men, to some extent, may have come to 

 see in themselves, but this matter of suggestion must not be pushed 

 too far. 



