NOVEJIBEB 10, 1S22] 



SCIENCE 



543 



10 



?0 50 4-i^ ?0 eo 70 80 



THE DISTRIBUTION" OF VOTES FOR ONE HXINDKED PSi'CHCLOGISTS 



SO 



100 



gists or among our thousand leading men of 

 science is thus much more severe at present 

 than was 'the ease when the selections were first 

 made. There are ■ now about 500 working 

 psychologists and about 10,000 scientific men 

 in the United States; the present selection con- 

 sists approximately of those who fonn in each 

 science the upper tenth in merit of their work. 

 In the case of the psychologists, here used 

 as an example, those in the two earlier groups 

 of fifty (except five no longer occupied with 

 psychology or no longer residents of the United 

 States), numbering 48, were asked to send the 

 names of 10 or a smaller number of others 

 whose work warranted their inclusion in such 

 a group. Then those who received two or 

 more nominations were in like manner asked 

 to propose 10 or fewer names.. The 52 who 

 received the most votes were added to tlie 

 original 48 to form a group of 100. These 

 names were placed in alphabetical order on a 

 list, which was sent to them all, with tlie re- 

 quest to "cheek (-\/) about 50 (namely, about 

 one half) of the names to indicate those who 



have done the best work in psycholog3r, placing 

 a double cheek (VV) before about five of 

 those whose work has been the most impor- 

 tant." Eighty-three (besides one who replied 

 too late) of the 100 returned the blank and, as 

 each was asked not to consider himself, there 

 were 82 votes. Vv^hen more than five double 

 checks were assigned they were weighted in- 

 versely as the number. The result of the votes 

 can be conveniently shown by curves such as 

 are here reproduead. The middle curve gives 

 the distribution o£ tihe 82 votes for the 100 

 psychologists, the vertical ordinates repre- 

 senting the number of .votes, , while the indi- 

 viduals are ranged serially along the hori- 

 zontal axis. The bottom curve shows the num- 

 ber of double cheeks for each individual, 

 namsly, the opinion that lie is one of the five 

 psychologists whose work is the most im- 

 portant. The top curve represents the sum of 

 two votes, and the individuals are arranged in 

 order in accordance with this vote.^ 



•" Similar results have been obtained in eaeli of 

 the twelve sciences, tlie number of scientific men 



