The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-03-02

fast or slow accordingly as they are sur.
rounded by various 'odors or brought with
in hearing of certain sounds. 1t is found,
for example, that some will perform
mechanical work much faster If an odor
of viOlets pervades the workroOm. Others
will work much slower under the same in
nuence. Professor Tichener was asked IT
the writer of this description could be
made to write a story better or worse II
surrounded by some specified odor. His re-
ply was that the writing of a story was a
very complicated process, involving many
psychologist conditions. The mental as
sociations needful were likely to be too alb
sorbing. But, when the work was more
mechanical in it's nature, the case would
be different. A bricklayer could undoubt-
edly be swayed in either direction by the
sense of smell. The effects were precisely
the same with sound Professor Tlcheners
account of these experiments, as related TO
the writer, is as follows:
1T is claimed that you can sometimes 90
your work best under slight abstraction.
That is, If you have everything too COM
fortable, concentration is not as easy as
though you were working under a slSnt
abstraction, as, tor instance, II some one IS
playing piano near by. We made num-
Der OF Investigations to see, ii possible,
what the actual effect of a distraction is en-
the mind which is in a state or attention.
We first got attention by making long
series of experiments in which the subject
after the other. One test was made by
dropping weights from different heights On
to a scale and having the subject note by
the sound whether the weight was falling q
shorter or longer distance Immense
amount Of attention is required. Another
test Was made with shades OF Color Sy
changing the shades it is difficult to detect
a slight change Of color. The red and blue
shades are somewhat easy, but to tell the
changes in brown is very difficult. We prac-
Used on weights and sounds up to me
smallest limit OF space, to find just the
smallest difference that could be detected
with a complete strain Of attention. Then
We proceeded to distract our subjects while
they were dropping weights and making
sounds. The object, of course, was to lind If
this distraction made them able to perceive
a slghter difference than before, or
whether the distraction would prevent their
attending so we'll.
THE result differed very greatly with
various cases, and the method of distrac-
tiCn. We found that with abstraction by
smell (scents) some subjects could think
better and have keener sense than before,
while in other cases the result was the
contrary. Every individual man is differ
eEtIy acted upon by these aSSOcia tons, and
some are very easily apstraCted by sound
and smell both. While We did not find it to
be a regular rule, we got a complete series
of results, and in the maximum three were
able to judge better under slight abStrac-
ticn. We also experimental with abstrac-
tlcn while students were working in arith-
metic, division, addition. etc. And tried
it while they translated sentences in diff
ferent languages.
I'VE made tests with the piano, and in
some cases the music prevented their think
ing at all. The effect of the piano depends
upon the octave in which YOU are playing.
Played treble and bass tOget her, it might
annihilate the performers thinking.
"A q
finishes up with one prolonged note. If it
is low down in the scale it is great deal
worse; the impression it makes is often
enough to drive one silly. You know that
deep D in 'GottafdameTurg.' the lowest
note known in mddern music? You get to
shlVerlng IN YOUR seat long before it stops
1t is all done to enhance the effect Of music
which fOllOwsi'i +
Taking all in al that has been found in
, PSYCHOLOGY to he true. the traditional
girl next door ,rfwith her incessant piano
playing, may fpe of some use to the COM
munity after all.-Cleveland Leader
III