The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-18
"ADV e r 7 ISM G."

time a new dppHSdliol W NhN w
saw is to advise the sagacious 10 ge
wise TO psychology,
For the psychologist seems to b,
turning the trick OF securing miNimun
productivenesS from printed matter
That is why the series of experiment:
and observations, carried on for some
years past in the psychological labor,
atory OF Northwestern University al
Evanston near this city, have attrac'
ted perhaps so much attention among
busy Americans as any psychological
studies OF recent years.
And that's saying good deal, for
the Science OF consciousness" as II
has been aptly defined, has been pref
" much concerned with practical at
fairs OF late. Ever since Francis Gal
ton and Professor William James on
the basis of elaborate Investigations
into the mental life OF large numbers
of individuals divided people up into
classes OF "eye-minded," 'ear-mind-
ed" and "touch-minded,' educators
have seen the reasonableness of ap-
pealing to as many OF the senses as
possible in each study OF the school
course. Therapeutic psychology has
been carried in to medical practice, so
that now many regular physicians are
using suggestion in treating nervous
troubles. So eminent an authority as
DR.. James Hyslop OF New York, au-
thor Of many valuable books on psy-
chinal research, maintains that psy-
biologists should be consulted in cri-
minal cases to discover whether hei-
nous acts were committed by the in
dividual in his proper capacity or
whether they are due to manifestati-
ons of secondary personality Then
there are advanced thinkers who look
forward to a day when marrying and
giving in marriage will be somewhat
regulated by the precepts of the psy-
chologist
Meantime, everyday American busi
ness men, who are spending upon ad-
vertising a sum rapidly approaching
a billion dollars year, have begun to
discover that to use this sum of mo-
ney economically, eliminating waste
due to feebleness. OF effort or misdi-
ledge of the elementary principles of
rected effort, demands some know
the action of the human mind.
A man who has made himself pio-
neer in practical application of theo-
retical psychology to advertising is
Professor Walter Dill Scott, head of
the psychological laboratory of
Northwestern University. His quail
fcations for his work are manifold.
Like many OF the younger generation
of scholars turned out from educatio-
nal institutions of the Middle West,
he combines in marked degree scho-
1arly ability and practical common
sense Just on the hither side Of for
ty, graduate Of the Illinois State
Normal University, of Northwestern
University, of the Mccormick Theo-
logical Seminary and Doctor OF
Philosophy Of the German University
of Leipzig, he has ben director OF the
psychological laboratory at North
western since 1901.
Much waste and misapplication of
energy in advertising in current maga-
zines and newspapers struck DR..
Scott forcibly in the early years OF his
incumbency at Northwestern. Fasci-
mated by possibilities in the subject
he carried on his series Of studies, Of
ten using his students either as his
subjects or as his assistants, with a
view to finding out precisely what can
be regarded by trained psychologists
as good advertising and what as in
herently bad.
The results Of these Investigations |,
were published in series Of magazine /,
articles and later on brought out in
book form by a Boston publishing
house under the title The Theory Of
advertising" generally recognized as
a classic of the subject and used as a
text book in several universities. The
book is said among advertising men !
to have revolutionized the practice OF
writing. 1t has killed off
mank silly and unpsychological de- |,
vices for attracting attention. The cof-
fee roaster who used to accompany
his story OF the merits OF his coffee
with pictures OF Shiny frogs; the care
less advertiser OF fat reducing tablets
who allowed his likeness of cOrpu-
lent old gentleman to be placed next
to column of death notices; the CT
gar manufacturer who undertook to
tell the public Of the merits Of his
own cigars by representing Uncle
Sam holding his nose while he dis
carded weed that might be supposed
to be somebody's else; the bicycle
maker who, to call attention to the
delights of cycling, represented a
young lady chased by savage dog; h
the cereal manufacturer who to give
you an appetite for breakfast showed