Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 2

by Unknown

			M.		M. V.		+V.		No. +V.		–V.		No. –V.		R. V.
			Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
		I	17.7	20.74	5.4	10.35	5.8	15.48	15.9	22.75	5.7	7.78	20.0	45.00	30	49.83
18˝		E	19.5	25.55	4.9	9.84	6.0	13.98	16.9	23.75	4.4	7.69	19.0	44.75	25	39.10
		R	15.5	18.46	4.9	9.14	6.3	13.03	14.6	24.25	4.4	7.07	21.2	44.25	31	49.26
		W	11.5	15.58	3.7	8.56	4.6	11.83	14.3	25.75	3.2	7.14	21.6	42.50	33	54.55
		I	33.3	42.81	9.1	16.55	12.6	20.63	14.2	28.00	8.1	14.01	21.7	40.50	27	38.32
36˝		E	33.1	41.54	8.4	15.23	10.7	23.34	14.2	23.00	7.2	11.57	21.7	45.25	25	36.66
		R	32.1	41.71	8.4	16.42	9.7	20.78	16.3	27.75	7.5	13.84	19.6	40.75	26	38.84
		W	24.7	30.10	9.0	14.71	10.9	22.08	14.4	23.50	8.7	11.24	21.5	44.75	36	48.64
		I	63.3	73.00	17.2	27.20	20.9	33.72	15.7	27.75	15.5	22.83	20.2	40.75	27	36.87
72˝		E	63.1	77.13	16.0	26.56	18.8	37.27	16.9	24.75	14.7	20.98	19.0	43.75	27	34.43
		R	57.9	70.78	17.3	30.30	20.9	39.28	15.2	26.75	15.7	24.91	20.7	41.75	30	42.77
		W	51.2	54.93	19.8	24.21	23.7	29.47	15.0	38.25	16.0	21.26	20.9	36.75	37	43.84
		I	92.7	113.37	29.8	40.13	35.3	44.08	15.2	32.00	25.9	37.87	20.7	36.50	32	35.34
108˝		E	99.8	114.88	26.3	36.38	29.3	49.26	14.9	26.25	24.4	29.51	19.9	42.00	26	31.57
		R	90.1	100.47	28.3	40.18	33.9	47.90	15.3	34.25	24.8	34.60	20.6	39.75	31	39.95
		W	75.5	87.45	32.4	45.33	40.8	61.12	14.9	34.25	27.5	35.86	19.9	42.75	42	51.67

The following facts are revealed by comparison of the results for the two sexes.[132] Without exception the means for the females are larger than those for the males. All but one of the sixteen intervals (E 18˝) are underestimated by the males, whereas all but six are overestimated by the females. The amount of over- and under-estimation is given in Table 12. In every instance the females overestimate in comparison with the males. The mean variability is very much greater for the females, as is also the relative variability. If variability be taken as a measure of reliability of judgment the males are far superior to the females.

As is obvious from Table 12, both under- and over-estimation increase with increase in the length of the interval. For 18˝ intervals they are least, for 108˝ intervals greatest.

The influence of the fillings is marked. The writing intervals without exception are judged as shortest; reading gives the next shortest intervals, while sometimes idleness, sometimes estimating, comes third. In order of increasing length of average estimates of the intervals the fillings stand: writing, reading, idleness, estimating. As a rule the averages for the idleness and the estimating intervals are nearly the same, but it is worthy of note that the females always overestimate to a greater extent when estimating than when idle. This is another indication of the discrepancy between the female time-unit and the objective unit.

About ninety per cent of the subjects estimated by some counting method. The methods most frequently used were "counting seconds," counting "1 and 2 and 3 and 4, etc.," counting the swings of a pendulum, tapping, and counting imaginary watch-ticks.

The above statements might suggest that the overestimation characteristic of the female judgments is due to a more rapid counting rhythm. This, however, is not true, for the letter-counting tests indicate a slightly more rapid rhythm for the males, 93.42 as opposed to 91.89.

TABLE 12

AMOUNT OF OVER– AND UNDER–ESTIMATION OF INTERVALS