Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 5.djvu/555

 STUDY OF WOMEN CRIMINALS 539

was seated in front of it and was required to strike as near the center as possible, ten times in regular, rapid succession. A pencil was used, and was sent forward and back from the shoulder. The nearness to the center of the pencil dots indicated the degree of accuracy. In this also the students were more accu- rate. Any neurotic conditions were clearly shown by this test. The longest and most difficult test for the subject to compre- hend was that of association of ideas. It consisted in giving the subject a word, as "house" or "tree," and having her write her associations with the word. One minute was the time allowed for each word. She wrote down only one word for each idea, thus securing more associations within the time allowed. After the word was given she had the privilege of writing down anything that came to her, whether it was connected with the word or not. While the associations were still fresh, they were analyzed, the subject telling that of which she thought in each instance. The tests made in this way are divisible into four groups : one series, consisting of the words " rainbow " (visual), "thunder" (auditory) , "pain" (tactual), "sour" (gustatory), "ammonia" (olfactory), was given for the purpose of determining to what extent each memory prevailed. Thus, if "rainbow" was given and was fol- lowed by the names of colors, the visual still persisted ; but if rain were heard, or they felt afraid, the visual was lost. So throughout the series. The second consisted in giving more abstract words, these being "mind," "habit," "value," "mar- riage," "religion." The words were also selected with a view to bring out the mental and moral attitude, and social influences. Thus, under "habits" they frequently enumerated all evil ones; under "value" could be clearly seen that for which they cared most; under "marriage" came out some most interesting facts — much relating to their personal history and what they believed. In these two associations the subject was allowed to think as she chose ; in the third the association was constrained, her attention being confined to the subject named; the words used were: "Name all the causes of fire that you can ;"" Give the names of all the birds you know." In the fourth was given a repetition of the first, only instead of giving a word representing