Studies in psychology

Introduction

The introduction to the first of these studies, which was made and printed in pamphlet form by the class of 1909 of the State Normal School at Fitchburg, Mass., gives a good idea of the way in which all were prepared.

" The following discussion of habit is the result of an experiment in teaching psychology in an inductive, expressive and cooperative way to three divisions of a class of beginning students in a normal school.

The general problem placed before the class at the beginning was stated as being " To find how habits may be most quickly and permanently formed and how they may be most easily and quickly changed." It was suggested that all working together might perhaps prepare an article as good or better than any that had been prepared by one person. The writer suggested experiments and observations to be made and questioned statements that were formulated so as to make students describe more carefully and accurately their own facts and opinions. He encouraged discussion of disputed points, but left the students to determine for themselves the facts and conclusions.

The subject was divided into three general topics, first, nature of habit; second, facts and laws of habit formation and the results and relations of habits ; third, habit breaking. All the students wrote out descriptions of habits they had observed in themselves and others. They also made attempts to break some habit of their own, keeping a record of progress, and later they tried to lead some one else to

4r Introduction

break or form a habit, and to induce an individual child with whom they were working to modify some habit.

To determine more definitely the laws of habit formation all practiced an exercise arranged by Prof. Lough of New York University. It consisted of a test sheet containing ten lines of letters and a " key sheet " upon which were pairs of letters, the left hand numbers of which were arranged alphabetically. A blank sheet was placed under the first horizontal line of the test sheet and under each letter was written the letter found opposite the same letter on the key. The time for writing one line designated as a " trial " was recorded in seconds. The letters written were then folded under and the second line was used in a similar way. This was repeated for all the lines, the ten constituting the " test." One or more tests were taken each day and the results were averaged by committees, and this data, together with subjective observations, was discussed. Later several tests were made with a " key " in which the pairs of letters were differently arranged.

After the first general topic had been discussed in class each individual wrote upon it, then a committee was appointed to combine the good points of all the papers into one. This was read to the division and freely criticized, disputed points being decided, after discussion, by a vote. After the other two topics had been worked over in this manner each student wrote a complete paper on the subject, and a committee worked over the papers prepared by the three previous committees into a discussion of the whole subject of habit. This was also read to the class and criticized. At first it was suggested that the division preparing the best paper should have the results of its study printed, but later it was decided by the class to appoint a committee to combine the papers of the three divisions, which were

Introduction S

found to differ considerably in their observations, conclusions and arrangement of topics. The following is the result of their labors, revised to some extent by another committee.

About five weeks with four recitations per week were spent by the class upon this topic. At the close most of the class thought that they had produced something better than any one thing that they had read, or at least that it meant more to them. The present writer agrees that they got more out of the work than they could from studying and reading the writings of others. How much other students can get from the printed results of their work is a question to be decided later. Teachers of psychology will, perhaps, doubt whether so much time (about one- fourth that given to psychology the first year) should be spent upon one topic, important though it be. The experiment has, at any rate, been an interesting one, and it is hoped that this little pamphlet may prove a help and inspiration, not only to the members oi the class publishing it, but to subsequent classes and perhaps also to students in other schools."

The method of preparing the other studies was much the same and succeeding classes found the pamphlets compiled by their predecessors of much interest and value.

The original pamphlets have been modified slightly in the interest of accuracy but the writer has substituted his own expressions for those of his students only when necessary. The reason for this is that psychology, even more than other subjects, is to many students little more than a collection of words of indefinite meaning unillumined by reference to their own experiences, while the statement of psychological truths in the words of persons of approximately their own level of mental development is much more likely to relieve this unfortunate state of mind than the more technical Ian-

6 Introduction

gnage of the professional psychologist. This fact has been impressed upon the writer and also upon other teachers of psychology who have placed these studies in the hands of their students.

Most of the truths ordinarily given in elementary psychologies with numerous applications and illustrations are embodied in these studies in a form that is sure to be understood. This does not, however, mean that these truths will be fully appreciated by students who merely read them. On the contrary their greatest value is gained only when students are stimulated by their reading to observe, experiment and express for themselves. The instructor in psychology or the leader of a reading circle should encourage this practice as much as possible. At the close of these studies will be found a number of suggestions to this end.

E. A. KlKKPATBICK

Contents

CHAPTEB PAGE

Inteoduction &

I Habit 11