PSYCHOLOGY: W. R. MILES 155 
Illustrative results from psychological measurements during prolonged reduction in diet 
MEASUREMENTS 
NO. 1 
TRACING 
NO. 4 ADDITION 
NO. 6 GRIP 
NO. 14 EYE 
MOVEMENTS 
NO. 15 FINGER 
MOVEMENTS 
!, 1918 
Average errors 
per line 
Total col- 
umns in 10 
minutes 
Per cent of 
error 
Average kilos 
for both hands 
Average time 
in sigma 
Number in 10 
seconds 
4 months 
February 1 
D. S. 
c. s. 
D. S. 
c. s. 
D. S. 
c. s. 
D. S. 
c. s. 
D. S. 
c. s. 
D. S. 
c. s. 
5.7 
5.6 
47.3 
47.5 
21.5 
19.7 
68.7 
66.0 
-d ^ 
£ 3 
5.9 
5.6 
50.2 
46.9 
16.3 
10.9 
47.6 
52.8 
95 
92 
65.6 
65.2 
J ^ 
6.0 
4.6 
51.4 
48.7 
19.0 
7.8 
48.1 
54.3 
97 
96 
66.6 
65.6 
S.S 
5.4 
4.7 
54.0 
49.6 
19.9 
10.8 
46.9 
52.8 
97 
91 
64.2 
64.7 
5.3 
4.8 
52.6 
42.5 
15.1 
9.6 
45.7 
53.5 
98 
92 
64.3 
66.5 
"J 
4.1 
4.4 
52.7 
46.9 
17.0 
14.0 
44.9 
54.1 
100 
95 
63.4 
64.2 
W S 
<i> 
4.7 
3.5 
52.8 
48.7 
18.4 
10.7 
46.2 
53.2 
64.9 
62.4 
a 
a; 
m 
4.4 
3.9 
52.8 
51.1 
14.2 
8.7 
45.9 
53.3 
65.4 
61.4 
3.3 
3.3 
53.4 
56 8 
13.2 
11.7 
45.8 
63.5 
67.6 
Accuracy of movement in tracing between parallel lines shows a gradual 
improvement as the experiment progresses. The diet squad did slightly 
poorer in the first two sessions after the beginning of reduction and their 
errors are a little larger than found with the control squad up to December 8. 
The performance of the control squad, however, continues to improve when 
on the low diet, hence no definite effect is established. 
As would be expected, the efficiency in adding one-place numbers gradually 
improved. The change, however, is remarkably small. When plotted, the 
curve for total number of columns added in ten minutes is almost a straight 
line. The most prominent fluctuation is with the control squad on their last 
normal date, when it so happened that the best adder (a man who had for- 
merly been a bank clerk) was absent from the group work. The percentage of 
error is larger for the diet squad and contrasts with the other group in that it 
fails to decline proportionately as much. On the first reduction day (Janu- 
ary 13, the men had been on 1400 net calories per day since January 8) for the 
control squad there was an increase in error. 
In strength of grip the diet squad are definitely below the control, but the 
three reduction dates for the latter squad show no definite change in strength. 
Therefore the different level between the two squads cannot be interpreted as 
due entirely to the low diet condition. Unfortunately it was impossible to 
begin all the tests on the same date, since preliminary instruction required 
considerable time at the first session, and no normal is here available for the 
diet squad. 
The eye movements, a type of muscular coordination which is peculiarly in- 
dependent of voluntary control, show for the diet squad a progressive reduc- 
tion in speed amounting in all to about 5%. The normal performance of the 
