In contrast to the above forms, the tables indicate and the notes verify that while the associations primarily follow one there can be traced the modifying effect of the other; "The nature of the words was influenced by a fringe of consciousness which contains the other starting-point," M.'s comment runs, while J. adds, "The other helped in the mental picture but had no special significance." There are no experiments in the first group where this partial fusion took place throughout the series, and there are only six examples where it took place before the sixth word and continued to the end. While there are no cases here of alternating partial fusion, yet it sometimes happens, that is, the predominating influence is sometimes transferred from one to the other. The modifying influence may reach such a degree at any point in the series that the identity of each point of departure of the association is lost and there is total fusion, resulting in one idea or one train of thought. For example, 'rel' and 'mem' gave 'realm' for V.; for Ht. 'fef' and 'tuz' gave 'fezz'; for M. they gave 'fez'; for Ro. 'fuz.'
Of the twenty-one experiments where one starting-point was followed exclusively, there were two cases for the first and nineteen for the second. There were but two cases of alternating groups, a third one being unique in that after the first three words there was a persistent alternation between two apparently independent series of inter-related words and inter-related visual images. There were three cases of complete fusion throughout the series and nine where total fusion started before the fifth word and continued.
In a number of cases the initial starting-points were forgotten before the end of the series and the subjects were sometimes unable to recall them.
As the subjects were kept ignorant of the characteristic persistence of either starting-point in forming separate associations, and of the tendency towards fusion, as well as of the preponderance of influence of one over the other, it is to the tabulated results that we must look for quantitative measurement of these. 76.2% of the associations are due to the independent influence of one or the other of the starting-points; 23.9% are due to the combined influence; for the first starting-point we have 18.7%, for the second 57.5%. In 15.3% of all the associations the combined influence was the result of total fusion; in 4.1%, the result of a union where the first starting-point predominated in influence; in 4.4%, the second predominated. The following graphic representation indicates the order of influences for the first pair of syllables. The table gives the results for the ten pairs.
TABLE I. TWO NONSENSE SYLLABLES SPOKEN
Time—50 seconds.
Characters: | represents the influence of the first, - the second, + complete fusion, α fusion with the first predominating, β fusion with the second predominating.
| 1) Taf—Coz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| M. | | | – | – | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | – | – | – | – | ||||||||||
| F. | – | – | | | | | + | + | + | + | | | | | | | + | + | β | β | β | β | β | β | |||||
| H. | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||||||||
| R. | | | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||||||||
| K. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||||||||||||
| V. | | | | | – | – | – | – | | | – | – | | | + | + | + | + | ||||||||||
| Ro. | | | | | | | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||
| Bl. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||||
| By. | | | – | | | | | | | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bs. | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |||||||||
| Ht. | – | – | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |||||||||
Starting-points:
| (1) Taf—Coz. | (6) Fef—Tuz. |
| (2) Cim—Bef. | (7) Sar—Nef. |
| (3) Yud—Zid. | (8) Sek—Lub. |
| (4) Sof—Deb. | (9) Hov—Bes. |
| (5) Naf—Tam. | (10) Rel—Mem. |