105 
It is easy to understand that proverbs and proverbial sayings are 
heard at greater distance. The subjects’ familiarity with them, helps 
TABLE V. 
In | 
Symmetrical sentences | Asymmetrical sentences 
| Subj. | M. | MD. | CV. | M. 
R (ait \ 019 | 4 3.50 
0 ee be EE 2.51 | 
| 
4 
| 
| | | 5 | 3.97 | 
| ; | Def fat a | 
the assimilation process consequent on the apperception of elements. 
The favourable influence exerted by proverbs and proverbial sayings 
is, however, inferior to that of symmetrical construction, as is borne 
out by a comparative study of Tables V and VI. The enlargement 
of the bearing distance for symmetrical sentences is with R. and M. 
respectively 0.61 and 1.13 m., that of hearing proverbs only 0.74 m. 
TABLE VI. 
| | Proverbs. | The other sentences. | 
Subj. Mean. MD. CV. | M. | 
Bey) Fl BeBe hist! lant 3.37 
| | | | 
ent i | 3.67 | 0.94 | 4 2.93 
| | | 
From a study of the data of Table VII it also appears that the 
absence of subject, predicate or object or an inversion of these parts 
of a sentence may be an impediment to hearing (see page 106). 
Irregular sentences are heard by R., M. and D. at a much shorter 
distance than the regular ones. The decrease of distance is resp. 0.73; 
0.28; and 1.01 m. The very considerable decrease with D. is pro- 
bably owing to the circumstance that as a Fleming he is less 
familiar with the rather uncommon construction of many of our 
irregular sentences. 
The relation between the mean distances at which whispered 
sentences and whispered words are heard we term after ZWAARDE- 
MAKER index loquelae. In otiatrics the distance at which the latter 
are heard is estimated at + 18 m. 
