September 19, 1890.^-1 



ssP^^e;^ 



Wi 



tliat June follows May, longer to go back and find a subject 

 for a verb than to go forward and find an object for it, longer 

 when given a quality to find an object possessing that quality 

 than to recall a quality for an object, and so on. 



We naay here also conveniently consider the overlapping 

 of naental processes, which we have found takes place when- : 

 ever a series of siniple processes, or a complex process in- 

 volving many simple ones, is performed. The general truth 

 that the time of a complex mental operation is less than the 

 sum of the times needed for the performance of the separate 

 factors into which the former may be resolved, will be again 

 illustrated Thus Munsterberg finds that it takes lOSff to, 

 name a specific instance of a class (e.g., to name a German 

 river). 992(7 to make a comparison, (e.g.. Which is more im- ' 

 portant, — this river or that?) but only 1049o to decide 

 both questions together (e.g.. Which is the most important 

 German river?) In this case we clearly recognize that the, 

 last processes are not the sum of tlie preceding two, but that 

 the category "most important German river" is already 

 formed in the mind. The following comparisons are more 

 illustrative. Instead of asking first, "Which is the most 

 important German river?" (IQidff,) and then, "Which lies r 

 more westerly. — Berlin, or the most important Germaii ; 

 river?" (992(7,) we ask a;tonce, "Which lies more westerly, — 

 Berlin, or the most imiportant German river ?" and find the 

 time 1855(7, or 176(7 less than the sum of the two foregoing 

 processes. Similarly, if instead of asking first, "Op, what 

 river is Cologne situated?" (SiSff,) and then, "Which is- 

 more westerly, — the^ Rhiae or Berlin ?" {992ff,) we ask at 

 once, "Which is more westerly, — Berlin, or the river on 

 which Cologne is situated?" we find a more reinarkable , 

 saving of time (1314ff,, Ofr, 526 e less than the sum of the two 

 questions). This time w;aa, still further reduced to 1149(5'' 

 when the question wasi'preeeded by a list of a dozen cities. 



(3) Unlimited Assoiiciiions: "When V!e pass to the re- 

 action of naming as rapidly as possible any word whatever, 

 that is suggested by a given word, we are dravving entirely 

 upon the natural assoaJati;'?e! babitSj of the individual, andj 

 accordingly this method' has beeh tftosfc -useful in sttidyitfg' 

 psychological habits and tendencies. Our present purpose; 

 however, is only with the time^-elations of this uurestricfed 

 association. This has Ijeen the type' (;>f, association first ar|d. 

 most frequently investigated, and -it js customary to speak,, 

 of the pure associationttittie'as the total time minus the time 

 needed to repeat a worcl. Thus Mil nsterberg repeats a word 

 in 382(7, and calls out a"wOTcf in associatioia with the given , 

 word in 896(7. TrautsqboWt,, however, who experimentecj. 

 upon Wundt, Stanley Hall,; and two other subjects, finds anj 

 average time of 1024(7,727(7 of which is regarded as the- 

 pure association time. -Galtoh and others have made esti- 

 mates, by rougher methods, of the rapidity with which 

 trains of ideas pass thro.ugh the mind, and the result is a 

 rate not differing much 40: either direction from one associa- 

 tion per second. It will be recognized at once that this pro- 

 cess will be very difl^ereut in different individuals and with 

 different words. Munsterberg's shortest association .wais: 

 "gold-silver" (390(t) ; ;the longest, "sing-dance," 'tmoun7 

 tain-level" (1100(7-1400(7), Trautscholdt also found "gold-, 

 silver" a very quick re-action (402(7), " storm-wind " (368(7), 

 " duty-right" (4l5i7)."- Dohg re-actions were " God-feaTrag " 

 {1132ff), "thr^pe-king;';^^jl437(7), " Karr^-Augustir^l&bp^ 



Sopie interesting inferences result from the consideration of, 

 the times of different types of these unrestricted associations. > 

 Trautseholdt divides these into "word associations," or those 

 suggested by the word rather than by the thing; "outer 

 associations," or those relating to the sense-qualities of the 

 object; and "inner" or logical associations. The results 

 were 1033(7, 1028(7, 989(7, though this order may be liable to 

 individual differences. Cattell and Berger have also com- 

 pared the re-action times to concrete nouns (374(7, pure asso- 

 ciation time), to less concrete nouns (462(7), to abstract nouns , 

 (570O'), and to verbs (501(7), clearly showing that concrete; 

 terms are more readily suggestive than abstractions, and 

 concrete objects more so than actions. Trautseholdt finds 

 for associations to concrete nouns, 710(7; to actions,' 837()'; to 

 abstractipns, 871(7. . • 



Many of the influences to, which we found simpler forms • 

 of re-action times open, are doubtless true of association 

 times, but the great variability of the latter makes these diffl- ' 

 cult to establish^ The effect of practice is noticed by Traut- 

 seholdt; and Cattell has shown that in students from thirteen , 

 to eighteen years of age a distinct shortening of the associa- 

 tion time accompanies growth and education, while the i 

 students ranking higher in class have a somewhat shorter 

 time than those standing low in class. Fatigue very readily ' 

 enters, the accessible associations are easily exhausted, and 

 the mind repeats itself very markedly. Changes under the 

 action of drugs and in morbid mental states have been inci- 

 dentally noticed, but still await systematic investigation, i ' '^' 



The various processes, the times of which we have'heeti' 

 studying, by no means exhaust the possibilities in. this field. , 

 As our knowledge of mental operations becomes more per;, 

 feet and more; capable of experimental study, and as ouKt 

 power of analysis makes similar progress, the study of the' 

 time-relations of mental phenomena, already fertile in sug- 

 gestions and results, will increase, in interest and impor-: 

 tance.r^jyjj^ m Jasgc o-^iaiaqon s\sa . JOSEPH JASTRQ^fciol 



■ = MODERN' EXPLOSIVE'S AND FLUID FUELS. ' / ^ 



-Sir FEEDbeick Abel commenced with a reference to the greats 

 names in art and science which Leeds could claim as; its own. ' 

 He next proceeded to refer to the advaneesimade'in electrical sqi-i 

 ence and its application to industrial purposes; dealing with ths- 

 Itistpry of the subject since the i association last met in Leeds, inl 

 1858, afid bringing it to > the present day by a reference to tbeJ 

 scheme now on foot for utilizing the power of the Falls of Niag-a 

 ara^.electric welding, andelectric smelting, the latter in cqnneC'i 

 tion with the production of aluminium alloys.. The influence of i 

 manganese, chromium, aluminium, nickel, etc., in the manufac-; 

 ture 0.1 steel, was also t(TOched uponiu the address. 'I 



It was, however, wlien the president reached that partiof hisJ 

 speech in which he dealt with the appliances of war. that his; 

 audience felt they had reachel the most important part of his; 

 address. He traced the history of the application of gunpowder i 

 from early days, and showed how great liad been the advance 

 since the last meeting in Leeds, but more especially in quite re- 

 cent times. When Sir Frederick first actively tiurned his attention 

 tft the subject, Doremus, in America, had proposed the employ- 

 ment in heavy guns, of charges consisting of large pellets of pris- 

 matic form. This powder was first used in Russia. The subject 

 was followed up in England, Germany, and Italy. The researches 

 of the Government Committee on Explosives, in which, as is well 

 known. Sir Frederick and Capt. Noble took the leading part, were 



■ 1 Atjstraet of an address delivered at the annual meeting of the British 

 AsseoiatioQ t©i the Advanpemeat.qf .Scieipoeat'tiaedaj^^nKi, Ijy the president, 



Sir%e.djericJj,Al)al..„.5,,^j,3,,j .j^ic-hcia \d trjia^qiao-?-.' 



