(9) The elements were nouns. In each series five names of similar objects were alternated with five names of a different sort of objects, e. g., names of fishes with names of poets. All were read, as before. In each series new sorts of objects were chosen. The subject never knew what sort of words were to be given; the subjects agreed this was not a disturbing factor to them, and it obviated the tendency to think what words would probably be given, as is natural when the general character of the series is announced beforehand.
The subjects were instructed to be passive during the reading, and during the four-second pause that followed, avoiding mental repetition of the words. Then the operator gave a signal and the subject repeated aloud the words as they happened to be remembered. The words being numbered on the list from which they were read, the operator was able to record the words as fast as spoken.
The subjects were instructed to give the word which they found to be foremost after they had spoken the preceding one, rather than to try to repeat a group of words which usually appeared simultaneously at the first effort of recollection, but which usually faded while one of them was being spoken.
The same sixteen series, of ten elements each, were given to each subject.
(10) The elements were nouns, the ten presented in each series all being names of similar objects, e. g., flowers. Five were spoken, alternated with five printed on small cards which were shoved in front of a 10×10 cm. opening in a cardboard screen fastened to the table-edge. Cards were 40 mm. square, the words printed by hand, but carefully, in letters 10 mm. high.
A series was given in about 13 seconds, but the time was not mechanically measured; it was at a rate which some practice showed to give a fair time to comprehend each element.
As before, the subjects were told to be passive until, after a four-second pause at the end of the series, the operator gave a signal. Then the recollected words were spoken.
The class of nouns was different in each series.
(11) The elements were nouns. In each series five of some familiar class were alternated with five of some other familiar class. The classes were different in each of the twelve series given.
From this regular series of ten, five were chosen irregularly, and were printed on cards as in no. 9. The remaining five, of course also irregularly placed in the series, were spoken. This irregularity was different in each series. Thus some words of one kind were spoken, the rest printed; some words of the other kind were spoken, the rest printed.