ABSTRACT
Prolongation of reaction time alone is not a reliable complex-indicator. In a large number of cases (the whole of class TG mentioned above and part of class T) it is due to positive affective tone,
Disturbance in reproduction is by far the best complex-indicator—or, at least, the most reliable indication of negative tone ; I personally regard these two expressions as synonymous.
The galvanometer detects positive tone as well as negative and in many cases (the whole of class G) does so when the reaction time does not.
Intensity of affective tone, whether positive or negative, increases both reaction time and galvanometer deflexion. In general the most positively toned words are those with too-long times and too-large deflexions ; next come those with too-large deflexions only. Words with no complex-indicators, or with too-long times only, are mostly indifferent. Words with disturbance in the reproduction are almost invariably negatively toned. Words having too-long times and too-large deflexions are, on the whole, more intensely toned, whether positively or negatively, than those having too-long times or too-large deflexions only.
For quantitative work the galvanometer-deflexion of the psycho-galvanic reflex is markedly superior to the reaction time.
The ‘resolvingș power and consequently the scope and utility of the word-association method is greatly increased if the galvanometer is used in addition to the reaction time. The experimenter can divide his reactions into eight classes, all possessed of quantitatively and qualitatively distinct attributes, instead of into four only.
The memory test enables us to determine the more important relative properties of these classes. It is a very laborious method and somewhat crude, but the results it yields show a remarkable concordance and it is probable that the conclusions arrived at are reliable.
