The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-27

quickneSS, but the emotional disturb
ance became evident in the retardation
Of the next word. For instance, key
false key took only lie seconds, but the
following trivial association stupid
clever grew to 80 seconds Crime
theft came again promptly in 1.8, but
the inner shock was so strong that the
commonplace word cook was entirely
inhibited and did not produce. an as
ISOLATION at all in 20 seconds In the
same way 'bread'-'water' rushed for
ward in 1.6 seconds, but this character
istfc choice, the supposed diet of the
JAIL stopped the associative mechanism
again for the following trivial word. It
would lead too far to go further into
the analysis of the case but it NAV be
added that repetition Of the same
series showed the characteristic varia-
lions in the region Of the suspicious
words.
while crime had brought theft
the first time, 1t was the second time
replaced by murder discover brought
the first time wrong the second time
grasp In the harmless words there
was hardly any change at ALL But,
finally, a subtle analysis of the selec-
ton of words and of the retardations
pointed to sufficient details to make
clear diagnosis. The physicians told
the young man that he had stolen; the
boy protested vehemently. Then the
physician gave him the subtle points
unveiled by the associations-how he
had bought watch with the money
and the boy confessed everything, and
was saved from Jail by the early dis
covery. The brutalities of the third
degree would hardly have yielded such
complete result. nor the technicali-
ties of legal evidence. either In the
above case the reaction time was
heightened, in the case of the danger
GUS words. chiefly by the subjects
emotion. In the case Of q hardened
criminal who was warned in advance
that the process would determine his
guilt or innocence, the time would
still be affected. but in this instance
chiefly by conscious effort to avoid
giving himself away In conclusion:
''The time will come when the meth
DDS of experimental psychology can not
longer be excluded from the court of
law. It Is well known that the use of
stenographers in trials once met with
vehement opposition. while now the
shorthand record of the court proce-
dure seems matter Of course. The
help of the psychologist will become not
less INDISPENSABLE. The vulgar ordeals
of the third degree in every form be-
long to the Middle Ages. and much of
the wrangling of attorneys about tech
nicalities in admitting the evidence
appears to not few somewhat out of
date. too; the methods OF experimental
psychology are working In the spirit
of the twentieth century. The third
degree may bruta1ize the mind and
force either correct or falsif1ed Sc
crets to Hight: the time-measurement of
associations is swifter and cleaner
more scientific more humane and more
reliable in bringing out the truth
which Justice demands. OF course we
are only at the beginning Of it's devel-
opment; the new method is still in
many ways imperfect. and II clumsily
applied it may be misleading: moreover,
there exists no hard and-fast rule
which fits every case mechanically. But
all this indicates only that. lust as the
bodily facts have to be examined by
the chemist or the psychologist, the
mental facts must be examined Also not
by the lavman. but by the scientific
PSYCHOLOGIST with the training Of a
psychological NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
American.