These results point to the fact that there is a tendency to overestimate the strips unless there is a strong central accent, which draws the attention back to the middle of the strip, in which case it is slightly underestimated. This would seem to be contradicted in I, where the centre is strongly marked by slant lines coming toward it. But the subjects, instead of taking the lines as pointing towards the centre, in almost every case felt them as leading away from it, and the oblique lines gave an appearance of greater breadth, which result was carried out by the greater overestimation of II. In this case, in addition to slant lines, there was no central accent, and the overestimation was proportionately large. III and IV were intended to illustrate the difference in estimate of rhythmic and symmetrical units, but although a slight difference is apparent, the subjects did not feel III as strongly rhythmic, because the black lines on the ends of the strip were ignored against the black background, and only the two central lines were taken. This made it more a balanced than a rhythmic unit, so it is not a fair type of the point in question.
We may say, in conclusion, that oblique lines (which involve a more complex muscular adjustment to perceive them) give an impression of greater distance traversed, hence are overestimated; of two rhythmic groups, the one containing an even number is more overestimated than the odd, since the movement across is unchecked, and not balanced around a central line; a series of strongly centred groups is more correctly estimated as to its interspacing, and even slightly underestimated, because of the check imposed by the centre of fixation in each group. Although these results are very uniform, a more complete series of experiments should be done on this subject, to make the conclusions thoroughly valid.
Another question was suggested by these results: Is it more agreeable to have a series of repeated space forms nearer or farther apart when a design is within? Does the design, by drawing attention to itself (especially if it be markedly central), make the objects demand narrower or wider interspacing? To test this question, four blank strips of cardboard were hung behind the narrow window, and the subjects arranged them at the distance apart which suited them best. Then two other sets of cards, of the same size, but of different designs, were hung successively the same way, and these arranged also at the most agreeable distances. One decorated card had a circle within a rectangle, the other a triangle of gilt stars. The judgments were made in pairs, i. e. the blank cards and the one with the circular design were arranged twice in succession; then the blank cards and the star design. This gives three judgments for the blank cards, two for the circular, and one for the star design, and the judgments are given in full, since an average would disguise the point in question.
| I | II | III | |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. | 50 | 50 | |
| 55 | 52 | ||
| 55 | 50 | ||
| S. | 35 | 70 | |
| 45 | 20 | ||
| 55 | 35 | ||
| H. | 85 | 75 | |
| 90 | 65 | ||
| U. | 50 | 45 | |
| 50 | 48 | ||
| 57 | 50 | ||
| R. | 45 | 25 | |
| 15 | 10 | ||
| 45 | 23 | ||
| L. | 90 | 35 | |
| 65 | 65 | ||
| W. | 20 | 10 | |
| 25 | 10 | ||
| 25 | 0 | ||
| V. | 45 | 60 | |
| 30 | 35 | ||
| 30 | 25 |
Although the favorite arrangements varied somewhat on the different days, the filled cards were with only four exceptions preferred nearer together than the empty ones at any one trial, and two of these put them equal. (The choice of V. was affected by the fact that the circular designs produced such strong after-images that he was obliged to put them farther apart, to avoid confusion with the real design.) The reason suggested by the subjects for a narrower interspacing with decorated cards was that, when they attended to the design, they paid no attention to the actual edge of the card, but the card ended so far as its interest was concerned with the design. Therefore they had to be nearer together to bring the designs, not the whole field of the cards, into a series. If, then, the design extended over all the card, and its interest was no more in the centre than the ends, would this difference in interspacing cease to be demanded?
Another series of cards was hung with a design of oblique lines over the whole field, and these arranged as the others were, at the most agreeable distances.
| I | IV | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| J. | 53 mm. | J. | 53 mm. |
| S. | 45 | S. | 47 |
| U. | 52 | U. | 50 |
| R. | 35 | R. | 37 |
| W. | 23 | W. | 43 |
| V. | 35 | V. | 34 |
