RECORDS OF MEETINGS 403 



M. A. Martin, Puactice axd Its Transfer Effects in Cax- 



CELLATiON Tests. 

 R. S. Woodworth, Ixfluexce of Retention of Conditions Favoring 



Quickness op Learning. 

 J. J. B. Morgan, The Energy Error in Interference Tests. 



Summary of Papers 



Mr. McCall said : It has been sho^vll by Thorndike, Chapman and 

 McCall that the effect of air conditions, ranging from 68° F., 50 per cent, 

 relative humidity and 45 cubic feet of air per person per minute, up to 

 36° ¥., 80 per cent, relative humidity and the air unchanged and stagnant, 

 was absolutely the same upon the product produced by and the rate of 

 improvement of certain mental functions. This was true when the young 

 H'Cn tested worked at maximal effort and were subjected to any one con- 

 dition either one day of four hours or five consecutive days of four hours 

 each. 



The purpose of the experiment to be described was to ascertain whether 

 this same lack of difference would be found when the conduct of the ex- 

 periment and the nature of the tests were such as not to stimulate effort, 

 but to encourage carelessness. 



This experiment was conducted in the laboratory of the Xew York 

 State Commission on Ventilation, where any desired ventilation condition 

 could be very accurately maintained. The tests were made upon four 

 male college students who occupied the experimental chamber for six 

 consecutive weeks, five days to the week and seven hours to the day. Six 

 air variables were employed, each condition lasting one week. The range 

 of air conditions was the same as that noted above. 



The psychological tests occupied the first three days in each week and 

 consisted in having the subjects assign values to specimens of penman- 

 ship and English .composition according to the Thorn dike Scale for 

 Handwriting and the Hillegas Scale for English Composition, respect- 

 ively. In all 27,360 judgments were made. The exact value of each 

 specimen of penmanship and composition has been determined and the 

 average error of the subjects' judginents has been calculated for each of 

 the air conditions. 



The subjects also gave a numerical comfort statement. These comfort 

 judgments have been averaged for each air condition. The results justify 

 the following conclusions: 



1 ) . The hot humid conditions reduced the comfort of the subjects. 



2). The comfort of the subject showed no demonstral)le correlation 

 with his accuracy of judgment. 



