HUMAN REACTIONS IN A MAZE 105 



represent the surplus or unnecessary time or distance utilized 

 in traversing the maze: they represent the effort or activity 

 which is eliminated by the learning process, and not the effort 

 or activity necessary to run the maze when learned. Obviously, 

 all errors are unnecessary or surplus in this sense, and the error 

 data of Table II are those commonly given. 



There is but one exception to the inverse ratio. The distance 

 values for the rats are less than those for the children, although 

 much greater than those for the adults. This exception is readily 

 explicable when the pronounced difference in the lengths of the 

 two mazes is taken into consideration. 



The ratios of i \2 13 representing the values for the three groups 

 were obtained by computing the ratio among the groups for the 

 total time, error, and distance values separately and averaging 

 the three values for each group. 



The differences in the gross values are so great in proportion 

 to the average variability (Table V) of each group, and their 

 inverted relation to the general and rational ability of the three 

 groups is so obvious, that one cannot refrain from concluding 

 that some intimate causal relation exists between intelligent 

 ability and the surplus values. 



TABLE III 



Surplus Distance in Feet 

 Trial Adult Child Rat I 



1 109. 540. 195. 



