Over 50% of the errors were found in the 4th and 5th places.
[Ranschburg: 90% of errors in right half—60% in 5th place, 30% in 4th, few in 6th.]
In 1620 tests, the homogeneous series contained 52% of the absolute errors, the heterogeneous 29%, and the similar 19%.
COLORS
In the hope that some light might be thrown upon the main question at issue, the writer changed the stimuli, using colors instead of numbers.
It was important that the colors should be of the same or only slightly varying intensity and that they should be easily distinguishable. In a series of preliminary experiments in which red, blue, yellow, green, brown, gray, pink, and violet were used, red was lost in 8% of the tests, and gray in 25%.
Colors 1×4 cm. in size "ran into each other," while those which were 1×1 cm. remained distinct.
Here it was found necessary to distinguish between the various factors which might cause inhibition. Three factors entered into each test—perceiving, naming, remembering.
Four subjects found difficulty in naming, especially at first. The various methods of naming are given below in detail. M. says: "The name of the color is localized in my mouth. Generally there is no movement of the tongue—an impulse only; and the name is felt in that part of the mouth where the sound would be reflected, as, red in the upper part, blue near the front, etc."
S.: "Usually there is no apparent tendency to pronounce. Occasionally, naming them over inaudibly before recording is found advantageous."