DELAYED REACTION 77 



literature of imageless thought is identical with the first phe- 

 nomenon that we have had under discussion in this paragraph. 

 So far as the attitude itself is concerned, it might well be desig- 

 nated sensory thought as may other experiences also, such as 

 the reading aloud that was mentioned above. The memory 

 cases also may go into the same category. The sensations, both 

 in the memory instances and in those of the conscious attitudes, 

 differ, if at all, only on their meaning side and not by the addi- 

 tion of any overt imagery. Already the reader may have sur- 

 mised, and rightly, that the writer is introducing the theory 

 that the representative function found in the raccoons and in 

 the child, F, at least, who was most nearly comparable with 

 them, is likewise sensory thought and essentially comparable with 

 the cases above given. 



Let us come to closer quarters with this theory. The pro- 

 posed hypothesis is equivalent to making the so-called "image- 

 less thought" genetically prior to "thoughts with images" and 

 to placing the point of origin at least as low as the raccoon. 

 As opposed to this, current discussion by advocates of imageless 

 thinking would seem to assume the opposite, viz., that "thoughts 

 with images" are prior." It is to be noted that the assumption 

 has no factual basis, but that it seems to be the result of preju- 

 dice or of temperamental leaning. ]\Iy usage here takes for 

 granted that imageless thought can be analyzed into either 

 sensory or imaginal content which carries the meaning. It is 

 the former case that I use as the type found as low as the rac- 

 coons. This thought is ima.geless, though not sensationless, in 

 the strict sense. In the light of this, I can see no intrinsic objec- 

 tion to the above theory, while the following points are in its 

 avor: (i) The evidence in support of the possession of sensa- 

 tions by animals is absolutely convincing to any save one who 

 denies all consciousness to animals. On the other hand, the 

 evidence for images is very meager and unsatisfactory. In- 

 deed, it is even more so that has been thought if, as I believe 

 to be true, the present theory of sensory thought will account for 

 all of the controlled behavior that has been used to support a 

 theory of images where that behavior is not open to a stimulus 

 and response explanation. (2) Raccoons and young children 



" Buhler is an illustration of this. Referred to by Jas. R. Angell, Psych. Rev., 

 vol. 18, p. 317. 



