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Show FPU EB SYCHOLOQY, the ylII 11 SHELDON eOLVIN n O LO OY syc Si I newest of all the sciences, bat been 11 PROF. STEPHEN discovering and re- latlng Ita principles I during the last quarter of a v century. It has by no meana found all of Ita facta and la far from a complete Interpretation of those which. It Nevbaa discovered. ertheless there are some things that It bas worked out with absolute certainty and - ' I ..;.i-s- W Ikjfii (V jg yArT j 'mti - i - Tfv i- r- - "'..'Ji m I I I I zr f UK 1 1 n In Urbana, children Champaign? Illoomlngton, Danville and lu some cut the normal schools of the state hav been tested to determine certain under which they learn most' advautugoously. One of the question, asked in theise investigations has been this: Suppose th r! !ld is given sorue--thlto learn and Is asked to recall 11 ; later on, under what conditions dartoe : the Interval between learning and recall will his memory be most retentive? The data obtained has been that it has not been comover as yet Somei worked pletely very Interesting conclusions, however, have been reached among the this, that writing serves aa a great distraction and that the child cam ns-c- all material better when the latarwalt Is filled with such a strenuous activity as number work, than when It f filled with the writing of some familiar phrase, as "My Country, 'tia Thee." The greater distracting tenor other school dency of writing than occupations shows Itself particularity, in the lower grades. It baa also been found out that when young children i are required to learn by keeping perfectly still they are at a disadvantages.. If you wish to have the child learn the most disadvantageous conditions, require that child to keep perfng . 11 doubtlest makes a good deal of difference Just what sort of im71 agery the school child uaea In I aa to 4L memorizing his material, I I 1 whether the best results are to V I I be obtained or not and It la obviI I ously Important that tbe teacher A TEST TO DISTINGUISH should know the character of this Imagery If be is to deal adequately with the pupil. The results of tbe experiments by the department of psychology University of Illinois clearly Indicate that most children in the beginning grades of the school think in terma of obpredominantly jects seen, that Is, they possess concrete visual Imagery and probably, to a certain extent, also concrete auditory and motor Imagery as well. Later on this concrete form of imagining dies out. They ectly still. think in terms of words and the The experiments at the Universlty actual experience behind these of Illinois clearly show that oral words becomes dim and obscure. la the most satisfactory methThe whole process Is to make CJiAPACTJSns od of developing real power of express their learning a thing of books Ion in young children. and not a thing of vital, pulsatlnc If It la finally determined how tbe life. This is a great advantage in abstract and recall can be most adIt interval learning between thinking. s. however, a distinct hindrance In the cularrangement of the school appreciation of vantageously filled, then ture and art If we wish to train our children to think program of studlea can be worked out on a psycholos-Ic- al accurately and abstractly we must train tbem. as the basla and not on the more or less haphazard baslav schools evidently are now training them, In the dlrec-tio- n which seems to be the present plan. of verbal Imagery. If, however, we wish to deAmong other problems In this field of applied psy-velop artists, poets, men of letters, inventors and those which the department bas undertaken or prochology with technical skill in tbe varioua we must to carry out in tbe near future may be mentioned professions, poses see to it that this concrete imagery is not for if ' the following: this loss takes place It will mean tremendouslost; 1. What are some of the most advantageous condiwaste and disaster for many. . tions of learning to spell correctly T The experiments further showed that those children 2. In learntng, la it bolter to give all of the time tew a atudy of the subject matter to be learned, or la It betwho thought in visual terma were best able to memorize material with a visual content and that those who ter to devote a portion of tbe time In tbe attempt to thought in auditory or motor terms were best able to recall material that bas already been mastered? S. Is It in learning, to attempt to meniorlie learn material with an auditory or motor content This, the materialbetter, of course, means as far aa the application of results by commencing at the beginning and runto school work Is concerned that the material which the ning through to the end consecutively and by repeatiner this process until the whole has been mastered or Is It child learns must be in some way adapted to bis Ideational type, if the beat results are to be better to learn a part and then another part and ao onf accomplished. 4. What method of presentation la more advantaThis, perhaps, Is not so vital a fact, with the average In learning? By this Is meant, specifically, la It geous child who has. many ways, It may be, In which he can to present to the child material to learn orally or imagine his experience, but there are always In every better schoolroom numbers of exceptional children who are visually, and ia It better to present the material simultaneously or successively that Is, should the whol very slow to get on In certain fields and who. nevertheless are far from being mental defectives. To take a thing that he Is to learn be given at once or . la he taw concrete illustration, there are children who have great atudy one part and then the next and so on? In considering the first of these problems it may be difficulty in learning to read and yet who are often aald that results at Illinois clearly point to the fact tbmlc In other achool subjects. It is probable that such bright the method of teaching children to spell by giving children have not developed tbe type of verbal-visua- l aa a whole and not breaking It up Into syllable Imagery. The printed word fails to carry Its proper Such a child, obviously, must be treated is not the psychological method and that the old method, significance. of syllabication with some of Its obvious fault bad dla-tl-nct differently from the average Individual. In the flrat advantagea over some of tbe extreme methods ot place, he may be helped in hta reading by being Instructed to spell and pronounce words. Tbe method of showing him words and having him grasp them as Apropos the second problem It Is clearly established visual signs will be a hopeless method of procedure In by experiments at Illinois that there Is great advantage-i- n not apending the entire period of learning on studyhis case. Further, the child may be aided by a syse tematic attempt to atrengthen his verbal-visua- l the material presented, but that It la of very ing Imagery. to spend part of tbls time In attempting to There is ample evidence that children can be trained In any type of Imagery and It Is the business of educarecall what baa been ahown. Train the pupil to loose tion to see that those who are defective In an essential at the page that he Is trying to memorise tor a period and then to turn his gaze away and In bis mind's eye-rec-all type are trained to overcome this defect the printed matter. We cannot think for a moment of demanding the It la generally held by Investigators that the .beat: same aort of thing from the child whose eyesight is poor that we demand from the child of normal visual acuity. method of memorizing Is to learn tbe material by coms mencing at the beginning and running through the It is Just as foolish to expect the child who is defective to the end. The Illinois experiments In a certain Ideational type to do the work of a normal brought child aa It Is to expect the child who Is defective in his out this fact that In such consecutive learning there are certain parts that are mastered more quickly than othvisual sensibility to accomplish the same results under the same conditions that tbe child of normal sensibility ers and that it Is advantageous to first go over the whole- material consecutively until the more easily acqulndr accomplishes. material la mastered and then to spend some time In. Another Importunt problem which has been underlearning those parta that are more difficult and to finally-relear- n the whole consecutively. . taken by the psychological laboratory at the university is to discover the most advantageous conditions, besides Now, in attempting to answer tbe fourth ' question, experiments have been carried on at Illinois which show-rathtlioso relating to the Ideational type, under which cerclearly that the most advantageous way to pretain kinds of school material may be memorized. At the outset of such an Investigation tbe psychologist Is sent material to little children la visually and in succesconfronted with the difficulty of selecting the sort of sion. The reason for this, In part at least Is because-successiv- e presentation secures better attention than material for memorizing which will be sufficiently unisimultaneous presentation and that the word when seen, form to be tried on many children and on the same child at varioua times. U Is quite evident that if we use the especially If It la difficult, can be better comprehended Is ordinary materials of the schoolroom, such as the child than If it merely heard. The In has bad his reading, geography and history room, foregoing account glvea a statement of some of T the most typical and Important experimental Investlga--tlon- e that this material will not be of the uniformity desired. now In progress In the psychological It was to avoid this difficulty that the psychologist, laboratory at" nearly 25 years ago. tried a memory expert the University of Illinois. As has already been said, the main emphasis Is being placed upon the psychology of ment, In which he used for material nonsense syllables, that Is, certain syllablca which could be pronounced and learning, more specifically on technique and economy r which yet had no significance;' syllables, for example, At the same time ample processes of acquisition. like scope Is given for the theoretical aspects of the subHere we have a relatively uniform material that haa. for tbe most nart, little or no signifiject so that the field in a general way way be covered and that those who wish to obtain hlaher deepen n i cance, subject may find ample opportunity for research In the Using this kind of material, se.eral thousand achool direction which interests them most BMWaBiaiSBsaBHSSBB J r Ii -- l 7. v V ol' athe -- xws 1 VCfJi(,4.A 11..: ,.jtJirim3ZJijz?iB qame VyvVvAd . A 0 V in tmkmj oftus xiovsmnTd they runs many otbera concerning which It la In a position to make definite hypotheses. The time has now arrived when It is attempting to apply Its facta and principles to the solution of some of the most Important problems of our daily life. It Is a matter of common knowledge that during the last few years there has been an ever growing attempt to eve diseases, both of the mind and of the body, Prof. through the tremendous power of suggestion. Munsterberg, in this country and otbera abroad, through experiments and practical applications, have conclusively shown that our knowledge of the laws of mind may be used to relieve human life of some of its greatest Ills. Probably no discovery In physical science promises ti be of as great and lasting benefit to the world as the discovery of the power of suggestion aa a law governing a large part of the life of every individual. The time la soon coming when no reputable physician will dare to practice medicine without some knowledge of the facts of Recently, and very largely under the leadership of Prof. William Sterm, of the University of Breslau, extensive Investigations have been carried, on In regard to the psychology of testimony. These investigations have thrown Important light upon a vital phase of court procedure and have shown Its great weakness In many particulars. Soon this new field of applied psychology will be able to lay down definite laws In the conduct of the examination of the witness. Tbe time Is not, probably, far distant when every court will have some officer attached to it who is an expert in tbe psychology of tes timony ana WOO will DO buio to current iimuj miouiiuerstandlngs that are now current In regard to the essential elements of the witnesses' report and the extent of Its belief. In Zurich Dr. Jung has devised a methed for discovering some of the most Important facta In regard to the This procedure be mental makeup of an Individual. calls the "diagnostics! association's method." He gives to the subject to be tested. In succession, a llBt of 100 words, to which the subject Is to respond with the first association that comes into bis mind after the presentation of the original word. The character of the associations formed and tbe time which intervenes between the presentation of the stimulus word and tbe response are Important elements In diagnosing the mental condition of the Individual and In discovering essential facts In his previous history. Thla method bas been used with marked success in the discovery of crime and It promises to be of great Importance In the diagnosis of nervous diseases and In tbe detection of the criminal. While the application of psychology to the treatment of diseases, to the discovery of truth and to the detection of the criminal la tremendously important, another Held of ita application, while less spectacular and while not calculated to excite Immediately ao great popular e Interest, promises to be of more d This life. our in the regulation of daily field is In the psychology of learning and applies to the work of our entire school system, from the kin dergarten through tbe university. The leader In this movement Is Prof. Meumann, of the University of Halle. During the last decade Meumann and his pupils have ecobeen attempting to discover the most direct and nomical methods of the acquisition of knowledge and a 'arge amount of material has been brought together, many facts have been established and conclusions of practical value obtained. It Is In this phase of the work of applied psychology that the University of Illlnoia laa Particularly Interested. For the last four years expert-menthave been carried on under the direction of the Psychological laboratory at Illinois, In regard to determining some of the most Important facts concerning memory and kindred topics, the thought being that t uepartment of psychology were to be or maximum psycho-therapeusl- conse-Quenc- last-name- service to the state in which it Is situated and to which It owes Its support. It should be able to show how the theoretical work of tbe laboratory can be applied to the bettering of human conditions. Tbe agricultural and the engineering experiment stations at the university have been attempting to give the practical men of the state Information In regard to the best means of preventing wastes and .of obtaining the greatest efficiency in the various fields of their endeavor. A similar attempt la being made by the f epartment of psychology of the university to Bb.ow to the schoolmen of the state how they can save time and how they can ao regulate the environment of tbe school aa to get tbe greatest results with the least possible expenditure of energy. All knowledge Is based fundamentally upon memory and it Is quite obvious that if the cost economical methods of learning are discovered and applied tremendous wastes In the schoolroom will be saved. It Is a striking fact that most students who come to the university do not know bow to properly memorize their material. They lose a very large amount of time that might be saved greatly to their advantage. If tbey bad tbe simple knowledge of how to go about their work before them. What Is true of the university student Is undoubtedly true even to a greater degree of tbe pupils in the public schools. It Is clear that If the teachers knew what was the best method by which tbe pupil could memorize a certain material and could train that pupil In such methods of memory highly beneficial results would be accomplished. Working along thla line, some years ago the department of psychology at Illinois Instituted a series of experiments to determine aa far aa possible the exact facts concerning what la technically know as the ideational types of school children and the relation of these types to tbe memorizing of different kinds of material. By the ideational type the psychologist understands the sort of mental Imagery In which a person thinks for example, if a child recalls In Imagination a bird be'may do so by having a mental picture of tbe bird as a visible object or he may recall the bird in terms of tbe song that It sings. It Is further possible that he may not. In thinking of tbe bird, see It mentally or recall Ita song, but that he may merely see the word, bird, written or hear It spoken, or attempt to pronounce It himself. If he actually sees the bird In bis mind's eye he Is said to have concrete visual Imagery. If be hears the song that It sings mentally, he is said to have concrete auditory imagery. If he sees not the bird but tbe word, be Is said to have Imagery, and It Instead of seeing tbe word or hearing It he simply baa tbe mental Imagery of pronouncing the word, be la said to have verbal-moto- r Imagery , It la then possible for the person In his ordinary thinking to employ cither concrete Imagery, In which he recalls the actual object as presented through some of his senses or to employ verbal Imagery, in which latter cose be does not recall the object at all, but In which he recalls the printed symbol for that object either In visual, auditory or motor terma. It is possible also to have not only concrete visual and auditory Imagery but to have concrete motor imagery aa well. A person, for example, In mentally recalling a foot race, may think of the runner as he appears ready for the atartlng signal, or he may think of the starting signal, or, finally, he may think of the muscular sensations whlchcome in running the race. In this latter rase he would think of the runner In terma of concrete motor Imagery. Probably the football player, In recalling the experiences of the game In which be has taken a part, does not see the plays aa the spoctator does from the grandstand, but recalls them In terms of the movements which he makes In executing them. verbal-visionar- y T1p u-- der con-positi- ja& Tr'hwd " tb-wo- rd to-da- great-advantag- who!-proces- er In-ou- |