The Place of Kinaesthetic, Visceral and Laryngeal Organization in ThinkingWatson, J. B.
doi: 10.1037/h0073937pmid: N/A
When an object stimulates the human organism the response may be kinaesthetic involving gross manual or other movements, or it may be verbal involving the laryngeal muscles, or it may be visceral involving the smooth muscles and glands of the organism. Habit organization may proceed on any one of these three levels. Any one of the three types of response may become conditioned and may appear as a substitute response for an absent object. Thinking is chiefly subvocal talking but it may also involve manual and visceral organization. Thinking is possible without implicit speech behavior. From Psych Bulletin 22:12:00857.
Particular Features of MeaningHollingworth, H. L.
doi: 10.1037/h0075717pmid: N/A
The writer considers analytically a variety of features of the meaningful event. The scope of the paper is indicated by the following section headings: native and learned sequences; redintegration and conditioned reflex; is "telescoping" also meaning?; levels of meaning (three levels––postural, autonomic, intellectual); meaning and logical implication; perception and thought; completeness and incompleteness; thoughts and things; confidence and development; the problem of identity. From Psych Bulletin 22:12:00858.
Studies of Cerebral Function in Learning (VI)Lashley, K. S.
doi: 10.1037/h0070668pmid: N/A
The doctrine that repeated passing of the nerve impulse across the synapse lowers synaptic resistance is widely accepted but no direct evidence for such synaptic changes has ever been obtained. It is not sound to argue from the gradual improvement in function during learning to a change in synaptic resistance with repetition of stimulation. In some cases a single performance fixes a habit. Professor Lashley presents two experiments of his own which are incompatible with the traditional view. (1) The left eye of a rat was blindfolded and the animal was trained in a Yerkes discrimination box. Later when the right eye was blindfolded the discrimination was made perfectly with the left eye. The wearing down of resistance in the afferent tract from the right eye could not affect the tracts from the left eye. (2) The right precentral gyrus of a cebus monkey was cauterized and paralysis of the left arm and leg resulted. The monkey was then trained to open latch boxes with the right hand. Later the left precentral gyrus was destroyed with a resulting paralysis of the right hand. When the animal recovered there was perfect transfer of the habit to the left hand which was paralyzed during training. In this case neural paths are utilized which were not activated during learning and the wearing down of synaptic resistance offers no explanation. From Psych Bulletin 22:12:00859.
The Formation of AssociationsAdams, H. F.
doi: 10.1037/h0071089pmid: N/A
The author modifies McDougall's drainage theory by introducing the concept of double neural tracks connecting cortical areas. The revised theory depends upon the "radiation" of nerve energy and upon a principle of "attraction." The latter means a lowering of synaptic resistance such that nervous energy flows towards the excited cortical center. This theoretical view is elaborated to take into account such phenomena as the relation between attention and association, inhibition and facilitation, backward and forward association, remote associations, associative inhibition, the effect of rhythm, fluctuation of attention, association and involuntary attention, retroactive inhibition, distributed repetitions. From Psych Bulletin 22:12:00860.
Criticisms of the Laws of Exercise and EffectCason, H.
doi: 10.1037/h0073009pmid: N/A
The writer criticises the law of exercise (use and disuse) as set forth principally by Thorndike, and also the law of effect. Under the latter heading the adequacy of satisfiers and annoyers as agents for stamping in and stamping out reaction tendencies is questioned. Thorndike's doctrines are said to be based upon a worn out affective psychology; and furthermore these laws are anthropomorphic and mentalistic. From Psych Bulletin 22:12:00844.
The Rise of Objective PsychologyCalverton, V. F.
doi: 10.1037/h0070528pmid: N/A
The paper is an attack upon subjective psychology and the study of consciousness. Psychology may become a science through the objective study of behavior. Objective psychology has a social philosophy which as yet is little developed. From Psych Bulletin 22:12:00822.