m i©\ ilVDJO'f^ %0i\miQ'^ 'I I £7 :5 >^OFCAIIFO/?^ .^WE•UNIVERy/A ^10SANCEI% ^^OFCAllFO/iU^ mwi^ ^^ommi^ %133nvsoi^ %a3AiNn]WV^ "^(^Aavaains^ ^OFCAllFOfiU;. i-n DIVERS//, ^^ o >- =: C? ^ %83AINn-3VLV^ ^lOSANCElfjv, -< ^lllBRARYQ^. § 1 14-^ ^ ^OFCAIIFO;?^ ^lUBRARYQc ^OFCAllFOff^ "^d^AHvaani^ "^^ommn^ .^WEUNIVER% 5 ^lOSANCElf/^ ^mjQNVsov^ "^aaAiNnawv" ,^MEDNIVER% "^J^iaoNvsoi^ ^lOSANCElfj> o > "^aaAiNiiJWV^ pRARYQr ^llIBRARYQr^ |:AIIFOMj[^ ^OFCAllFOi?^ ^MEUNIVER% ^lOSANCElf/^ Ivnan-i!*?^ "^^AHvaani^ ^lllBRARYQc^ ^^AHvaaiHS^"^ ^^Aav}iaii# IJNIVERS//) ^-fe 5 ^ I ^lOSANCElf/^ -s^lLlBRARY^/T ^l-UBRARYQ^^ "^/saaAiNa-Jwv^ ^.yojiivDjo^ ^<5fOJIlV3JOV' ^WEUNIVERVa %'il30NVS01^ vj^lOSANCElfj"^ o %a3AINfl3WV JNIVERS/^ o ]NVS01^ ^lOSANCEl£i;> ^ 5 lAiNn-ay^v ^OFCAIIFO% ^OFCAllF0/?;i^ ^ o sDu^As ^^CM:r:T ^fZfT^^ ,^OFCAllFO/?/ij, >t,OFCAllF0%^ 4? (US\ AT LQ3 ANGELES Vol. III. No. 5. ^OMPLIMEHTS OP REPRINTED FROM THE September, 1896. Psychological Review EDITED BY J. McKEEN GATTELL Columbia University J. MARK BALDWIN Princeton University WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF ALFRED BINET, £cole des Hautes-Studes, Paris; JOHN DEWEY, University of Chicago; H. H. DONALDSON, University of Chicago; G. S, FULLERTON, University of Pennsylvania; WILLIAM JAMES, Harvard University; JOSEPH JASTROW, University of Wisconsin; G. T. LADD, Yale University; HUGO MtJNSTERBERG, Harvard University; M. ALLEN STARR, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York; CARL STUMPF, University, Berlin; JAMES SULLY, University College, London. CONTENTS. Studies from the Psychological Laboratory of the University of lo'wa : On the Effects of Loss of Sleep : G. T. W. Patrick, and J. Allen Gilbert, 469. Studies from the Psychological Laboratory of Harvard University : I. The Relations of Intensity to Duration of Stimulation i7t our Se^isations of Light: James E. Lough, 484. //. Normal Motor Automatism : Leon M. Solo- mons and Gertrude Stein, 492. On the Conditions of Fatigue in Reading: Harold Griffing and Shep- herd Ivory Franz, 513. The Accuracy of Observqfipn and of RecoUectifij$.„iii,^ghool Children : ^^hepherd Ivory Franz and Henry E. Hoysjiojj, 53 1 . Discussion and Reports : Remarks on Professor Lloyd Morgan's Method in Animal Psychology : Hiram M. Stanley, 536. Recognition : Arthur Allin, Mary Whiton Calkins, 542. The Commmiity of Ideas of Men and Women: Amy Tanner, 548. Psychological Literature : Recent French Works (7'. Lachelier,A. Fouillde, T. Halleux, Ck. MiralliS, Fr, Paulhan^ : A. Binet, 551. Eucken's Der Kamff urn, einen geistigen Lehensin- halt: A. C. Armstrong, Jr., 556. Ethnology and Anthropology : Livingston Farrand, 558. U Annie psychologique : H. C. Warren, 562. Leuba's The Psychology of Religious Phenomena : William Romaine Newbold, 569. A Nevj Factor in Evolution: J. McKeen Cattell, 571. Vision: C. L. Frank- lin, E. B. Delabarrje, 573. Localization of Touch: Herbert Nichols, 577. Memory: H. N. Gardiner, W. G. Smith, 578, Synopsia: Mary Whiton Calkins, 581. Psychical Research: J. McKeen Cattell, 582. The Emotions: H.N. Gardiner, 583. Epistemology : C. W. Hodge, H. N. Gar- diner, 584. New Books^ 587; Notes, 588. published bi-monthly by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY, 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK ; AND LONPON. [Reprinted from The Psychological Review. Vol. III. No. 5. Sept., 1896.] THE ACCURACY OF OBSERVATION AND OF RECOLLECTION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN.^ BY SHEPHERD IVORY FRANZ AND HENRY E. HOUSTON. Whether accuracy of observation and of recollection differs at different periods of our lives is a problem suggested by Prof. Cattell's paper on this subject.^ In order to study this subject, questions similar to those used by Prof. Cattell and by Mr. Bolton, with the changes necessary for time and place and for the age of the scholars, were asked the pupils of the Horace Mann School, New York City, and of the Paterson, N. J., High School. The following were the questions used : (i) What was the weather a week ago to-day? (2) Two weeks ago? (3) Which way do the seeds in an apple point? (4) How many years ago did George Washington die? (5) How many feet is it from the schoolhouse door to the corner of the street? (6) How many seconds does it take you to walk this distance? (7) How many times have you entered the schoolhouse gate (or door) since vacation? (8) How many ounces does this book (showing a text-book used by the class) weigh? (9) Draw on a scale of one inch to twenty feet, a ground plan of the lower hall. The accompanying Table ^ gives the percentages of correct answers or the average estimation together with the average residual for the two schools. ' From the Psychological Laboratory of Columbia University. ^The Accuracy of Recollection, J. McKeen Cattell, Scietice, N. S., II., 761- 766, 1895. See also The Accuracy of Recollection and Observation, F. E. Bolton, Psychol. Rev., III., 286-295, 1896. 3 Ov*ring to the fewness of answers in some grades it was thought best to combine the several grades of the H. M. S. as follows : I., II., III., IV., V., VI., VII., VIII., High, thus making about forty or fifty answers in each group. The figures in the Table marked with a cross (t) denote the actual magni- tude as used for the Columbia and Wisconsin Students. As the books used as standards of \veight were of different weights, we 53' 24«?S 532 SHEPHERD I. FRANZ AND HENRY E. HOUSTON. Table I. Actual M'gn't'dk. H.M.S. l.ll.lil. H.M.S. H.M.S. H.M.S. rV.V.VI VII.VIII HIGH. 1 i. H.M.S. TOTAL. ■P.H.S. I ii.ni. COLUM BIA. Wiscon- sin. Age. 7-9- 10-12 13-14 14-17 7-17 201 14-17 — No. of Answers. 56 63 1 48 34 325 56 92 Weather, I wk. previous. H.M.S. clear. P. H. S. cloudy. 40% 81% 95% i 85% 1 78% 4% 11% Stormy clear-' ing. 32%( .0 stormy. Weather. 2 wks. previous. H.M.S. clear. P. H. S. stormy. 34% 49% 65% 65% 53% 29% — Direction of Apple Seeds. H.M.S. P. H. S. 51% 52% 26% 51% 45% 49% 41% 49% Yrs. Av.Est. since W's death. Av. Res. H.M.S. P. H. S. 96. 97 54 87 33 97 12 99 8 95 26 102 13 Av. Est. Distance in feet. Av. Res. H.M.S. 400 P. H. S. 260 160 120 183 150 167 74 226 93 181 118 197 97 356 179 [310] 276 [450] Av. Est. Time in seconds. Av. Res. H. M. S. 80 P. H. S. 55 65 45 82 52 97 61 97 49 84 54 183 131 70 45 66 36 [35] 182 [160] Av. Est. Frequency, A v. Res. H.M.S. 100* P. H. S. 180 179 162 252 185 122 38 152 76 452 314 4022 2669 [?] — Av. Est. Weight in Ounces. Av. Res. H. M. S. 10 P. H. S. 14 7.8 4-5 7.6 4.1 6.5 2.4 6.0 2.4 7-1 3-5 12 5-5 17 5 [24] 20.5 [24] Av. Est. Proportion, Width, Length. Av. Res. H.M.S. 10.2 P. H. S. 1.74 — 8.7 3-9 7.8 2.5 8.5 3.6 8.3 3- 1. 14 •30 — 1-7 [2.0] Av. Est. Length in mm. Av. Res. H.M.S. 211. P. H. S. 118 — 116 39 145 35 158 29 141 37 105 — 6. [9.6 in] Av. Est. Width in mm. Av. Res. H.M.S. 13- P. H. S. 16 — 15 6 21 8 23 8.7 19 7.8 87 — 3.5 in- [4-7in] OBSERVATION AND RECOLLECTION. 533 i Taking the figures more in detail, it will first be noted that the H. M. S. has a much larger percentage of correct an- swers to the two weather questions than any of the other schools. This is no doubt due to the fact that the weather on the two days about which the pupils were asked was ' clear,' and as we have more clear days than other kinds we should expect an in- crease according to the probability. Not knowing the proba- bility of this and the other kinds of weather, we cannot compare the other schools, but considering the H. M. S, alone it seems likely that accuracy of recollection increased with age. In the next question, however, this is not the case, for the younger scholars in the H. M. S. had the same percentage cor- rect as the older, and a trifle greater percentage than the College students. Some chance variation caused a decrease to 5 per cent, in the seventh grade, whence the total for that group (VII,, VIII.) was reduced to 26 per cent. In the quantitative estimations it will be noticed that, like the College students, the younger children underestimate weight and size (proportion) and overestimate time. They also overesti- mate frequency and with the Wisconsin students underestimate distance and size (length of building). The H. M. S. and the P. H. S. overestimated the breadth of the hall or building, while the Wisconsin students underestimated the corresponding mag- nitude. In these estimations, however, there seems to be no regular increase or decrease in accuracy, except in the cases of ' weight, ' ' length, ' ' width, ' and ' time.' Taken as a whole, however, the older scholars are more accurate than the younger. This is shown, also by the average residuals, which for the have here reduced the estimations, taking ten ounces as a standard. The valid- it}' of this procedure is somewhat doubtful, but it was necessary in order to make any comparison of the grades. We, however, give here the actual mag- nitudes, the average estimations, and the residuals for the several grades. Table Ia. I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. High. Magnitude. — 12.5 10.5 10.5 13-5 10.5 14. 19-5 18. I. II. Av. Est. Av. Res. — 12.5 5- 6. 4-5 8.7 5-4 8.7 5- 7.8 3-7 10. 4- II. 3-4 10.4 3-7 12. 3-6 534 SHEPHERD I. FRANZ AND HENRY E. HOUSTON. older scholars are considerably smaller than for the younger. The questions are so complex in themselves, all including ob- servation, w^ith errors of judgment, and memory with its errors, that no general conclusion can be drawn. Accuracy according to Sex. From the following Table showing the percentage of right answers and the average esti- Table II. Weather, ist wk Weather, 2d wk Apple seed Yrs. since W.'s death Distance Time. Frequency , Weight Proportion H. M. S. Boys. Girls. 74% 81% 49% 57% 48 43 95 (96) 91 231 (400; 151 72 (80) 90 191 (100* 178 ) 7.8 (10) 6.7 P. H. S. Boys. Girls. 9.7 7.0 (10.2) 89. (96) 102. 189 (260) 196 46. (55) 67. 505 (180) 468 ir. (14) 12. Wisconsin. Boys. Girls. 19% 54% 50% 46% [only part] 296 261 (450) 1.26 1.08 (1-74) 177 187 (160) 22.8 19.8 (24) N. B. — The actual magnitudes are shown in parentheses. mations for the H. M. S., the P. H. S. and the Wisconsin students. One sees that the girls remember the weather bet- ter than the boys, but that the estimations of the boys for dis- tance, time and proportion are nearer the standard. The boys in the H. M. S. came nearer to the date of Washington's death, while the boys and girls of the P. H. S. were about equally correct. With weight the H. M. S. boys again came nearer, while the girls of the P. H. S. were more exact. With fre- quency the girls in both cases were more correct. The general OBSERVATION AND RECOLLECTION. 535 conclusion to be drawn is that in quantitative measurements the boys are more exact. This is also what Mr. Bolton found with the Wisconsin students. Relation of Confidence to Accuracy. When the students were asked the questions they were told to denote by the letters A, B, C or D, respectively, whether they were sure their an- swers were correct, fairly confident, doubtful, or if their answers were only a guess. The following table gives the average esti- mation when the students were confident (A and B), and when they were doubtful (C and D) . Table III. Yrs. since WS DEATH. Weight IN Oz. Distance IN Ft. Occur- rence. Time in Seconds. A. and B. H.M. S. C. andD. 88.5 138. (96) (10) 152 285 (400) 205 213 (100) 91 lOI (75) A. and B. P. H. S. C. and D. 100 104 (96) 12 11.5 (14) 203 214 (160) 386 "= (.80) (55) Here, too, the evidence is conflicting and no general con- clusion can be drawn. In the estimation for years since W's death, and for number of occurrences the more confident answers are nearer the truth. When we look at the estimation for dis- tance, however, we see that the two schools disagree. The small difference, too, between the estimates in some cases (^. ^., years P. H. S., distance P. H. S., occurrence H. M. S.) together with a large variation (in most cases one-third of the average estimation) makes it unwise to hazard any con- clusion. It was found that scholarships did not at all influence the results. Those classed as the best students estimated as wildly as those considered the worst ; those considered as of medium ability were a little more accurate than the two extremes. 2 4 8 H t> This book is DUE on the last date stamped below .§ ^,-J^ ^^ V/ _ 1^ g f; ? ^ o __, { ft \1 oo "^aiAiNn-jwv^ ^^xNillBRARYO/^ -5^lllBRARY^r .^WtUNIVER^ s = ^ 5 ^OFCAllFOff^ ^OFCAIIFO% ■^aaAiNnawv^ ^(^Aavaaii-i^ ^^Aavaan-^'^ ,^MEUNIVER5/A ce ce go % A^lllBRARYQr ^«!/ojiiv3Jo^ '^.aojiivDjo'^ '^J'iiJDNYsoi^ "^/jaBAiNrt-awv^ \^myi^^ ^OFCAlIFOff^ ^•OFCAIIFOM)^ ^^Aavaani'^ .^\^EllNIVER5•/A % ^lOSANCElfj^ ^TiiaoNvsov^^ '^/5a]AiNn-3WV ^OFCAlIFOfiUj, ^WE•UNIVER5•/A cvvlOSANCElfj}> o '^TilJONVSOl^ %a3AiNn-3WV^ -^UIBRARYQ^ ^lllBRARYQr^ .^ME■l'NIVERS/A '^.aojiivDjo'^^ '^(jojiivjjo"^ ^TiiJONvsm^ «ur.iiiji\rcDr/v .. tnc.tttrcir. i.tefPrty of Calilomia L 005 831 308 1 4 SOUTHERN REGIONAL UBfV|RYFglU^^^ D 001 064 543