434 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—I, J. 
Dr. F. R. Winton.—Relation of the pituitary to the kidney (12.0). 
Dr. GEOFFREY JEFFERSON—Pituitary dystrophics (12.20). 
GENERAL DISCUSSION (12.40). 
Tuesday, September 10. 
Jornrt Discussion with Section F (Economic Science and Statistics) on 
The economic aspects of diet (Section F room) (10.0). See under 
Section F, p. 408. 
SECTION J.—PSYCHOLOGY. 
Thursday, September 5. 
Dr. W. Brown.—Character and personality (10.0). 
In English usage the term ‘ character’ refers to an organisation of the 
affective and emotional aspects of the mind, leading up to the development 
of more or less tenacity of purpose and strength of will. ‘ Personality,’ 
on the other hand, has three different connotations, viz. (1) the sum-total 
of the powers of the individual, both inherited and acquired (German 
scientists use the word ‘ Charakter ’ in this sense) ; (2) the more dramatic 
aspects of individuality, especially the power of the individual to stimulate 
and influence the imagination of other individuals in art, science and public 
affairs; the psychology of leadership and the general problem of the 
psychology of personal influence fall to be considered under this heading ; 
(3) the philosophical or metaphysical view of the individual as having the 
power to live in, or partake of, a super-individual and (to some extent) 
super-temporal world of values (the good, the beautiful and the true), and 
to be capable of spiritual development in this sense. 
Methods of psychotherapy (analysis and suggestion) help the development 
of character, and of personality in both its dramatic and its philosophical 
aspects. 
Prof. C. W. VALENTINE.—The origins of laughter in young children and 
suggestions towards a genetic theory of laughter (10.45). 
I. Theories of laughter usually suffer through over-simplification, and 
through inadequate attention to a genetic point of view. ‘The theories of 
Hobbes, Herbert, Spencer, Darwin, Bergson, Freud, McDougall. Laughter 
may have general causes. 
II. (a) Laughter first as an expression of pleasure (at one month), associ- 
ated with satisfaction of hunger. (6) Laughter in third month in response to 
laughter of another—indicating the fundamental social aspect of laughter. 
(c) Laughter at tickling. (d) Laughter at simple shock or surprise (age 
0.4). (e) Mere repetition as a cause of laughter (0.6). (f) Laughter at the 
incongruous or unusual (0.6). (g) Laughter of joy or excitement at new 
accomplishment (about one year). (h) Laughter at mild discomfiture of 
another only noted after all others had occurred. 
III. Parallels of these early forms of laughter as they appear in adults. 
Laughter as a social means of approach. 
