52 WALTER S. HUNTER 



2. Tests with Children 



A. Method of Experimentation. — Details of the method of 

 experimentation here used may be presented as follows : When 

 the subject was first brought into the room, the following in- 

 structions were given; We have a little game in here which 

 we are going to play. You will stand in here, (I indicate the 

 release box). When I release you by raising the gate, (I illus- 

 trate raising the gate), you are to go and push one of the but- 

 tons over on the wall. One of these buttons will make a noise. 

 If, after I raise the gate, you push the noisy button first, I will 

 give you some candy when you come back to me. But if you 

 go first to some button that isn't noisy, then you must try again 

 before you get the candy. So, you see, the game is to push 

 the noisy button first and so get candy. Do you see now how 

 we are to play the game? Run over there and push on some 

 of the buttons. See, sometimes they make a noise and some- 

 times they don't. (I switch the buzzer on and off for all the 

 buttons. The lights are not on yet, nor has the subject's atten- 

 tion been called to them.) Now let's try the game and see if 

 you can push the noisy button first. (The child is placed in the 

 release box. The light is switched on over the noisy button. 

 The child is held 5 sees, in the release box before being set free.) 

 These instructions were memorized by the experimenter; and, 

 although parts were repeated several times to the subject, 

 nothing that is not given above was told to the child. 



It was found that with all save F, 6 preliminary trials were 

 sufficient to familiarize the children with the apparatus and to 

 overcome their timidity. (H's exception will be noted below.) 

 F was given 35 trials extending over three days on the prelim- 

 inary work of learning that the noisy button meant candy. 

 By the end of that time the association was firmly established. 



No fixed number of trials per day was given. The amount of 

 the day's work was adjusted to the child's disposition and to 

 the length of delays. No set number of trials was given at any 

 stage of delays. In other words much the same method was 

 used as for the first year's work with the raccoons. Bob and 

 Betty. Delays were increased continuously until an error was 

 made. At this point, they were either decreased at once or 

 continued at their existent value for several trials before further 

 change was made. The experimenter believes that so flexible 



