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SCIENCE. 



[X. S. Vol. XVIIT. Xo. 451. 



societies for stimulating and directing child 

 study among teachers and parents. The 

 American passion for novelty almost uni- 

 versalizes itself in the newer passion for 

 collecting data and spreading the syllabus 

 of inquiry. The National Educational 

 Association had a new ' Committee on Psy- 

 chological Inquiry,' which made its first 

 report. The new theme of 'imitation' was 

 so diligently pursued by psychologists, 

 sociologists and educationists that they 

 came near concluding that man is nothing 

 else than an imitator. At least this process 

 was regarded as the organizing function in 

 the individual, enabling him to become a 

 social unit. Our psychologists also seemed 

 to take unusual delight in talking and 

 writing about 'pain.' 



The next year displayed a disturbance 

 in the general feeling of confidence which 

 had well settled down upon the cohorts of 

 the psychologists. Some philosophers con- 

 tinued to deplore the transition of psychol- 

 ogy into the state of a science, its adoption 

 of exact methods in gathering accredited 

 facts, etc. There appeared a strong reac- 

 tion against the enthusiasm of the previous 

 decade, and a decided doubt arose as to 

 both the psychological character and the 

 scientific value of the newer facts brought 

 to light. These had received the name of 

 the 'new' psychology, and it had to pass 

 through the double baptism of fire and of 

 praise as it was being steadily contrasted 

 with the 'old' science. This reaction was 

 doubtless the great crisis in the whole 

 movement. Within the circle of psycholo- 

 gists this year was noteworthy by reason 

 of more serious attention being given to 

 that readjustment of methods and problems 

 made necessary by bringing the great 

 scheme of evolution up to the field of con- 

 sciousness. The former physiological hand- 

 maid of the science was being surely re- 



placed by her biological successor more 

 effectively than ever before. 



In 1896 several of the more important 

 laboratories were moving into larger and 

 better equipped quarters or were planning 

 more space. Experimental activities were 

 increasing. The popular magazines were 

 giving unusual space to articles on psy- 

 chology. 



The year 1898 proved to be one of con- 

 centration, consternation and the experi- 

 mental construction of the newer depart- 

 ment of comparative or animal psychology. 

 Those who held to the newer faith through 

 the crisis of 1895 were moving forward con- 

 structively. Numerous articles on the ar- 

 rangement and equipment of laboratories 

 appeared. The problem of an 'individual' 

 psychology attracted synthetic attention— 

 not independently of foreign inquiries. 

 Schemes of decisive tests were devised. 

 Efforts began to be made to correlate all 

 tests and measurements so as to sketch 

 definitely the make-up of the normal mind, 

 both in the formative and in the maturing 

 ages. Certain complex functional activi- 

 ties involved in growth and in schooling 

 were selected for careful analysis and 

 patient investigation. And- our late presi- 

 dent recommended the introduction of 'the 

 consulting psychologist' as the newest offi- 

 cial in our educational system. But the 

 practical applications of such and all other 

 experimental results began at once to be 

 seriously questioned by a large section of 

 the educational public. This was but an 

 echo of the warning note sounded by one 

 of our members crying out against the 

 dangers, not to say the absurdity, .of an 

 applied psychology. It is to be hoped that 

 our science has fully regained by this time 

 what was then so suddenly lost in general 

 esteem, and as a useless sacrifice. Careful 

 psychological experiments upon animals 

 began to be made in several quarters, mark- 



