Page:Memory (1913).djvu/113

 And, in the same way, the fewer are these intervening terms, the stronger are the bonds which, as a result of the learning of the original series, connect the two syllables across the intervening members.

In addition to agreeing in their general course, the numbers for both groups of experiments also agree in the following respect. The difference between the first and second numbers has the greatest value, and that between the second and third has the least value. On the other hand, it is surprising that, with respect to their absolute size, the numbers of the second group are throughout smaller than those of the first. Two causes may be brought forward in explanation of this behavior, which, considering the conformity of the numbers, can scarcely be accidental. It may be that here is actually revealed that influence of expectation which has already been mentioned. On the basis of this hypothesis, the explanation of the fact that the numbers of the first group come out somewhat too large is that, in the course of the experiment, the existence of a saving in work in the case of the derived series was anticipated, and for this reason the learning of the series took place involuntarily with a somewhat greater concentration of attention. On the other hand, it may be that, in consequence of the excluded knowledge, there has been at work in the case of the numbers of the second group a disturbing element which has made them smaller. Here, to be sure, during the learning of the derived series a very lively curiosity developed concerning the category of transformation to which the series which had just been learned belonged. That this must have had a distracting, and therefore retarding, influence is probable not only in itself but also through the result obtained from the series derived by permutation of syllables. It was to be expected that the identity of the syllables, as well as of the initial and end terms, would make itself felt in this case by a saving of work, however small that saving might be. The latter effect appears, it is true, in the experiments of the first group. With those of the second group, however, there is noticeable, instead of this saving of work, a slight additional expenditure of time. This, if it is not merely accidental, can scarcely be explained otherwise than through the distracting curiosity mentioned.

It is possible that both influences were at work simultaneously