Evening star., 1938-09-01
OF STARS,
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Prosress
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,

scolding children simply wastes
breath.
1t doesn't get results, according to an
experiment in child psychology just re-
ported to the American Association for
the Advancement of Science here by
DR.. M. w. johnson OF the University
of Michigan.
The test was made with 40 pairs of
children from az to 81a years old. They
were paired as to age, sex and intelli-
gence. Dr.. johnson thus describes the
results:
"One child was given one type of
verbal direction and his mate in the
same situation was given another type.
According to the number of children CO.
operating with the request, the specific,
simple, pleasant, hopeful, approving, un-
hurried, direct and positive expressions
were far superior to the general, verbose,
scolding, depriving, disappearing, hurried,
inquiring and negative expressions
Specific exceeded general instructions.
For example, wind the toy backwards
was better than wind the toy as
measured by the number of children
succeeding.
Simple requests were superior to more
verbose requests. Saying, for instance,
1t is time to put the doll away. She
belongs in the bed. We must put her
there. You put hT away resulted in
more compliance than the same request
including some unnecessary information,
1t is time to put the doll away. She
belongs in the bed. We must put her
there. Look, isn't she little? She fits
into the doll carriage, too, and the chair.
You put her away
pleasant requests exceeded scolding
and threatening. The pleasant direc-
ton, pick up all the sticks and things
caused more children to do SO than the
lament, nobody picks up all the sticks
and things on the floor don't see why
I always have to pick them up. should
think the children would like to see the
room in order
Hopeful were better than depriving
remarks. The same words, you can do
it, said encouragingly and derisively,
made a great difference in behavior.
Much more persistence in trying to re-
move a cover from a jar resulted when
the words were said encouragingly.
'Approving remarks promoted more
success in hitting target with bean
bag than disappearing remarks. For
example, that's right, you got it, on
each success was more effective than.
that's wrong, you missed it, on each
failure.
"Unhurried We're superior to hurried
directions. You can do it promptly,
helped children put together picture
puzzle sooner than, hurry up and do
it. Hurry up
"A positive direction exceeded choice.
Wash your hands before you leave
brought more cooperation than do you
want to wash your hands before you
eave?'
"A positive expression saying what
to do was better than negative one
saying what not to do. Put the crayons
in the box led more children to do so
than, don't leave the crayons there
"A positive prohibition exceeded
negative prohibition. Leave that book
closed was better than, don't open that
book which suggested more opening.
These results for the different cate
gories described above were true for
both sexes and for five different age
groups as we'll as for different levels of
intelligence. Children with greater be-
havior problem tendencies, however, re-
sponded less frequently to verbal di-
rections. Children, on the other hand.
with fewer problem tendencies tended
to respond more frequently to verbal
directions. All children. then, were
especially penalized by the types of di-
rections containing verbose. general,
negative and discouraging elements, but
the problem children were the most
handicapped.
"All children. it can be concluded, were
aided, especially those given to problem
behavior, by the more simple. specific.
positive. pleasant and encouraging verbal
expressions.
Verbal expressions. when compared
with none, were found to be differentiat-
ing influences on behavior. Moreover,
the same verbal requests brought the
same results from all the children when
only simple tasks were requested. but,
when more difficult tests of general at
titude and cooperation were made, the
children who had previously been given
the more approved types of directions
revealed more affable attitudes than did
those who had been habitually given the
less approved types
x X
The barytron, most recently discov-
cred fundamental particle of matter
which has been described as heavy
electron,' or unit of negative electricity,
is not more than 1875 times the weight
of the ordinary electron. according to
results reported by DR.. j. c. Street of the
University of Chicago at conference on
atomic physics last week.
This is the upper limit. he determined.
The barytron, found only in associa-
ton with cosmic rays, may be much
lighter. This upper limit is equivalent
to less than one-tenth the weight of a
hydrogen atom. Results have been 50
vague hitherto that several kinds Of
these heavy particles have been pos
tulated, but DR.. Streets experiments
establish definitely that there is only
one.
They may arise, he believed, as Sec
ondary particles produced in cosmic ray
collisions with atoms, but the evidence
on this point is still very vague.
Evidence that ancient Americans
hunted elephants in Texas 25,00O years
ago Is gathered from research just
reported to the Geological Society of
America by Prof. E. H. Sellards of the
University of Texas.
He is studying the bones of five pre-