This formula has been constructed after many years of experience. The words are chosen and partially arranged in such a manner as to strike easily almost all complexes which occur in practice. As shown above, there is a regulated mixing of the grammatical qualities of the words. For this there are definite reasons.[126]

Before the experiment begins the test person receives the following instruction: "Answer as quickly as possible with the first word that occurs to your mind." This instruction is so simple that it can easily be followed. The work itself, moreover, appears extremely easy, so that it might be expected any one could accomplish it with the greatest facility and promptitude. But, contrary to expectation, the behaviour is quite otherwise.

I.—An Example of a Normal Reaction Type.

Stimulus
word.
Reaction Time.
Unit 0·2 second.
Reaction. Reproduction.
head 9 footpart of the body
green 11 blouse
water 14 clearlight
to sing 6 children
dead 11 do not like
long 6 shortI, tall
ship 7 forth
to pay 9 bills
window 9 room
friendly 10 children
table 9 chairroom
to ask 10 all kinds
cold 7 warm
stem 6 flower
to dance 9 I . .like
lake 8 Zürich
sick 8 sister
pride 6 people
to cook 7 woman
ink 5 black
angry 10 childrenpeople
needle 9 to prick
to swim 10 healthy
voyage 9 England
blue 10 prettylike
lamp 6 light
to sin 8 muchpeople
bread 10 goodlike, necessary
rich 9 nice
tree 6 green
to prick 9 need

II.—An Example of an Hysterical Reaction Type.

Stimulus
word.
Reaction Time.
Unit 0·2 second.
Reaction.Reproduction.
needle7to sew
to swim9watership [127]
[128]
voyage35to ride, motion, voyager
blue10colour
lamp7to burn
to sin22this idea is totally
strange to me, I do not
recognize it
bread10to eat
rich[129]50money, I don't knowpossession
brown6naturegreen
to prick9needle
pity12feeling
yellow9colour
mountain8high
to die8to perish
salt15salty (laughs) I don't
knowNaCl
new15oldas an opposite
custom10goodbarbaric
to pray12Deity
money10wealth
foolish12narrow minded, restricted
pamphlet10paper
despise30that is a complicated, too
foolish
finger8hand, not only hand, but
also foot, a joint,
member, extremity
dear14to pay (laughs)
bird8to fly
to fall30_tomber_, I will say no
more, what do you
mean by fall?
book6to read
unjust8just
frog11quack
to part30what does that mean?
hunger10to eat
white12colour, everything
possible, light
child10little, I did not hear
well, _bébé_
to take care 14attention
lead pencil8to draw, everything
possible can be drawn
sad9to weep, that is notto be
always the case
plum16to eat a plum, pluck whatfruit
do you mean by it? Is
that symbolic?
to marry27how can you? reunion, unionunion, alliance