抄録
Inomata (6) has proved that the time errors in the estimation of visual length and in that of auditory intensity appeared different, and proposed a hypothesis that this might be explained by the difference of “the mode of phrasing” The purpose of our present investigation is to test this idea in a different kind of comparison, i.e. the estimation of time-duration. At first, we compared two durations which were represented by the whole space lighted (Gs:Gs) or sounded (Gh:Gh) by means of five small electric lamps or four buzzers which were placed unseen far from Os.. The durations were three in kind: short (1sec.), middle (3sec.) & long (6sec.); the intervals were two: short (1sec.) & long (3sec.). In the visual experiment (see Table 1), the time errors were negative, except in the short duration of the short interval, and in the auditory experiment (see Table 3), the time errors were negative solely in two long duration values. Next, we placed one light (a circle of 2cm in diameter) (Ks:Ks) orone buzzer 120cm before Os. (Ks:Ks). The results (see Table 1, 3) were similar to those of the first experiment. Only the absolute values were here somewhat higher.
The positive values in these results may be explained by the hypothesis proposed by Inomata, that they appear inthe cases where the stimulus constellations are easy to fuse in a single “phrasing”. For, firstly, any stimulus given ina short duration may fuse easier in one Gestalt, and secondly, the visual stimuli are more independent and more difficult to fuse each other than the auditory ones.
In the other experiment, i.e. whole space vs. part space (Gs:Ks, Gh:Kh; see Table 9, 10); strong part stimulus vs. weak part stimulus (see Table 12, 14), the results were similar to those of the foregoing experiments, and may be explained by the same hypothesis of “the mode of phrasing”.
Then, we reversed the stimulus-interval relationship of the first “whole space experiment”; in other words, the vacant time durations were compared (see Table 5, 7). The results were different, especially in the visual experiment, where all values were proved to be positive. This means, perhaps, that the vacant times were perceived as accessory components of one larger time Gestalt, and furthermore, that the first stimuli were overestimated. It is noticeable, however, that in this experiment some Os. gave results similar to those in the first experiment, when they were expressly required to observe the vacant intervals as “figures”.
Now, we turn to the effects caused by the difference of two stimuli as the “carriers” of the time durations compared. As mentioned above we compared the whole space stimulus with the part space stimuius. In the auditory experiment (see Table 19), it seems that there are no meaningful effects of the different stimuli, while in the visual experiment (see Table 16), it is manifest that the small stimuli are more greatly overestimated. This may be explained by its high “figuredness.” In the results of the other experiments concerning the difference of the intensity of stimuli (ca. 1:3), we find a paradoxical result, that in the visual experiment (see Table 17), there appears an effect of overestimation of the strong stimuli, while in the auditory experiment (see Table 21), an antagonistic effect of overestimation of the weak stimuli. It is probable that the strong visual stimuli carry higher figuredness, and the weak auditory stimuli likewise. But this is of course a mere hypothesis which must be proved by further investigation.
