Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 2

by Unknown

W. (1) Av. time: 4.3.
(2) 2-sec. exposure. Not enough time to feel any relation between the strings, most of the pleasure supplied by the memory.
(3) Eyes fixed: 5.3. Pleasure is very faint, and consists in having the strings appear to converge to a central point, and fade at the sides.

J. (1) Av. time: 2.3. Sees them in pairs.
(2) 1.5 exposure. Less pleasant.
(3) Eyes fixed: 2.7. Series seems more like a unity and he enjoys it more, since no time is spent in exploring the field, but it is one unified experience.

U. (1) Av. time: 28. Only enjoys it by ignoring all except those in the centre—does not want so many.
(3) Eyes fixed: 18 secs. Enjoys it when eye lights on one string, so that the others can fade away equally at the sides, in one figure.

S. (1) Av. time: 5.
(2) 3-sec. exposure. Less pleasant.
(3) Eyes fixed: 8.8. Pleasure consists in converging of lines toward central point. It appears like one figure and is more intense than (1).

H. (1) Av. time: 9. Sees them in pairs.
(2) 1 sec. Just as pleasant as before.
(3) Eyes fixed: 4.6. Pleasure in unity of whole series with centre of fixation emphasized. Only felt pleasure anyhow when the eyes had stopped moving, so now it comes all the sooner.

From these introspections it is obvious that there are two distinct ways of apperceiving repetition: One in which the rhythmic element is pronounced, so that when the time necessary for such a rhythm is shortened, or by fixating the eyes the motor response is hindered, the pleasure in the repetition is either altered or destroyed altogether. The other type takes a repeated series in the sense of a unified presentation and wants it all at once in a symmetrical whole. The rhythmic factor is present in both, as is shown by the fact that the quality of the pleasure was changed in every case when the time of exposure was shortened. But in the latter type of subject the pleasure felt in the presentation of the whole at once, and the feeling of symmetry around a middle point, are more intense than a rhythmic apperception. These two kinds of apperception remain fairly constant throughout the experiments, and for convenience' sake we shall call them spatial and temporal types. With the former, the value of the experience consists especially in having a central fixation-point from which the repeated elements fade away equally on the sides, making a symmetrical whole. With the temporal type, the pleasure is felt by means of the rhythmical passage from one element of the series to the other. In passing from point to point the rest of the field still remains in indirect vision, so to the distinctly temporal a distinctly spatial factor is also present. For this reason the temporal type of apperception is the richer of the two, and a description of it comes more nearly to the essence of repetition as such.

Up to this time, the repeated element had always been a single string. This was varied and the strings hung in pairs (50 mm. wide, 100 mm. between pairs). When the strings had hung at equal distances from each other, six out of the nine subjects had seen them in pairs while enjoying them, and had found such grouping more or less essential to enjoyment. In seven cases the pleasure was increased by this grouping. They expressed their preference in various ways: "Easier to keep track of where we are going." "Can go quicker over field, for repetitions are more well-marked." "Single line is too thin to rest on, this gives broader space for repose." All these introspections instanced the necessity of the rhythm being marked and made plain, so that there should be no confusion of point with point. The two who disliked this grouping were of the spatial type, who found no pleasure in traversing the field, hence too little content in it, in this arrangement, at any one time. Grouping of some kind would seem to faciliate the apperception to a certain class of subjects, while with others the amount and quality of the content of the field is of more consequence.

Since accents are such an important factor of auditory rhythm, the next experiment was to see if the apperception of a series of repeated elements would be facilitated by accenting every other one.

Another string was hung in every other pair thus making it more striking, but here came a difference between the feeling of accent in auditory and visual rhythms. The subjects declared the pairs in which a third line was hung were not intensified alone, as when a greater stress is put on a tone in auditory rhythm, but the pairs were changed qualitatively. The group of three became the repeated element, while the pair was only an alternating figure different from the principal unit. This unanimous testimony brought up a variety of questions. 1. Is any purely intensive accent, without involving qualitative changes, possible in visual repetition? 2. What factor makes us choose one object rather than another as the repeated element? 3. What is the value of the alternating figure in such a series? 4. What is the value of the empty space between repeated figures, and does it have as distinct a value as an alternating figure? 5. Are all the recurring objects and spaces felt as separate repetitions; if so, how many can be carried on at once?

These questions were put to the subjects in regard to the series just described with considerable uniformity of answer.

(1) No such thing as purely stress accent seemed possible. The word, signifying greater intensity without change of quality, did not apply. If one attempted to intensify the repeated object in any way, either hanging another string, thickening the strings, or any similar device, it ceased to be the old unit but became a new one, whose repetition was followed for its own sake, while the weaker one retired into the background, and was not felt as the element repeated in the series.

(2) Any regular change of the element which made it more interesting or caught the attention, fixed it as the chosen unit of the series, whose repetition was followed.

(3) Concerning the exact value of the alternating figure in the series, there was great difficulty in introspection. They all "knew the alternate figure was just as truly repeated as the principal one, but could not feel it so." The three-group formed the unit of the repeated series, and although the pair was clearly part of the experience and distinctly perceived, for some reason it was not felt as repeated in the same way as the other. It was merely an alternate, a filling, which was essential to the other, but which had no significance in itself as a repeated thing. Two subjects were able (if they tried) to carry both repetitions along together, i. e., not only feel the three-groups as coming at regular distances from each other, but the pairs as forming another interlacing series. This kind of apperception was very fatiguing, however, and they could not enjoy it. For any pleasure to be derived, the pairs must retire into the background, and attention be fastened on the three-group.