2 HARRY H. WYLIE 



tate analysis, — i. e. (2) the reduction of the problem to 

 perceptible and definitely measurable objective terms — 

 sejisory stimulus and motor response. This condition has 

 not been obtained and can not easily be obtained with 

 human subjects. It can presumably be best obtained 

 with animals. Without attempting any exhaustive survey 

 of cases, let us notice briefly the problem as studied in 

 animal psychology. 



It is well to bear in mind at this point that whatever 

 study has been given this problem up to the present time 

 by those experimenting with animals has been largely of 

 an incidental character. Yet the incidental results have 

 often been interesting and suggestive. 



The problem has presented itself to most of the animal 

 psychologists in this form: What is the effect of previous 

 habits upon the formation of new habits? Yerkes(2) study 

 of the Dancing Mouse has furnished some data bearing 

 on the question as stated. Animals which had not been 

 previously trained on a simple labyrinth (C) succeeded 

 in making the trip correctly for the first time on the average 

 after 19.7 trials. Animals which had previously learned 

 the labyrinth (B) succeeded in making the first correct 

 trip in (C) after 7 trials. The learning of (B) without 

 previous training required 8.2 trials. After previous training 

 on (C), the learning of (B) required 5 trials. Thorndike(3) 

 reports in his experiments with cats in problem boxes, 

 that " previous experience makes a difference in the quick- 

 ness with which the cat forms the associations. After get- 

 ting out of six or eight boxes by different sorts of acts 

 the cat's general tendency to claw at loose objects within 

 the box is strengthened and its tendency to squeeze through 

 holes and bite bars is weakened; accordingly it will learn 

 associations along the general line of the old more quickly." 

 He cites three animals, Nos. 10, 11, 12, which had learned 

 the problem box A (0 at front) and were afterwards taught 

 the problem box Bl (0 at back). He remarks, " It nat- 

 urally takes a cat much longer time to accidentally claw a 

 loop in the back than in the front, yet a comparison of 

 these curves with those— shows the opposite to have been 

 the case with 10, 11 and 12." A parallel series of controls 



