I20 REPORT OF THE PSYCHOLOGY COMMITTEE 



if we had depended on our psychological traditions of the 

 localization of sound we would have missed the point of the 

 new localizing apparatus. As a matter of fact, I followed 

 here as elsewhere the general principle of using a replica of the 

 actual task for test purposes instead of any presumptively 

 correlated tasks. The results seemed to justify the method. 

 I believe that it is theoretically sound. 



"In the spring of 191 8 the Chemical Warfare Service of 

 the Bureau of Mines made specific inquiry through the Re- 

 search Council as to the importance of certain visual limita- 

 tions of the standard production mask.^ The matter was re- 

 ferred to me, and after consultation with various members of 

 the Service, I undertook to answer the inquiry, and was ap- 

 pointed Consulting Psychologist. From the moment that I 

 put on a mask it became obvious that the visual conditions 

 of tenancy Interacted with various psychological and physio- 

 logical conditions. 



"My report on the visual factors which are involved in 

 continuous tenancy of gas masks aimed to summarize the 

 relevant traditions of physiological optics, laying especial em- 

 phasis on the military advantages of peripheral vision, and 

 discussing the relative faults of various windows, with respect 

 to both material and position. Experimental investigation 

 took a more general form. 



"Relative to the total complex of tenancy problems, I 

 suggested a combined investigation of the respiratory, meta- 

 bolic, neuro-muscular, visual, and psychological effects of the 

 gas mask. The obvious place for such an investigation was 

 the Nutrition Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution, Boston. 

 The plan met the cordial approval of the Chemical Warfare 

 Service. In spite of probable interference with other forms 

 of patriotic service, the Director of the Nutrition Laboratory 

 generously gave the Investigation the hospitality of the Lab- 

 oratory, and authorized such help as his collaborators and 

 assistants found it practicable to give. Very unfortunately, 

 as I believe, the cooperative investigation failed to get started. 



^ This statement of Lieutenant Commander Dodge is supplemented by the data 

 in section 15, p. 141, of this report. 



