Abstract
Problem: What are errors, and why they appear? To study this problem, I organized a complex selective work and observed the errors that have occurred in its training stages as well as in its modifications.
Experiment: Figure 3 shows the equipment used for the experiment:-At 1, six words (e. g., A, B, C, D, E, F.), which resemble to each other, are exposed one by one in certain order. If A is exposed, the subject has to take a green ball from the box 2, throw the ball into the left hole at 3, pull out the board 4 (then the ball comes down to the receiver 5) and put the ball in the yellow hole of the box 6; while if B is exposed at 1, the work is to be carried out as follows; orange ball (2), right hole (3), push in (4) and blown hole (6). To the word C or D no response is needed, and as for E and F no special instructions are given.
Figure 3.
17 subjects were trained for this kind of work, until they reached the plateau, and then some parts of the work were variously modified.
Results and Considerations:
(I) In the process of training, following kinds of errors were found:(1) Meaningless errors (trial and error type, so to speak) which generally came out in the ‘Und-Summe’-like performances during the earliest stage.
(2) The disagreement between mental attitude and stimulus-word.(3) The impulsive movement in case of unfit stimulus-word.(4) Errors owing to the resemblance of the stimulus-words.(5) Errors which came out when the subject was thinking of some other things.(6) Errors due to the influence of emotion.(7) Errors owing to the relaxa ion.
(II) In the modified stages:(1) Errors by habituation came out in the substituted part of the work.(2) They were many when the work was substituted in only one part or when some homogeneous one was inserted, while they were few when many parts were substituted or when some heterogeneous one was inserted. It showed that in the former case the subject maintained the mental attitude for the former work, while in the latter a renewed mental attitude was taken.(3) When the training was completed in a long time, the ‘Handlungsganzheit’ became much stronger than that formed in a short time though they looked to have reached the plateau equally, and the errors by habituation in the former were far more numerous than those of the latter.(4) When an error by habituation appeared many times in succession at the modified part, then it came about that a new structure (a bad habit) was strongly formed.(5) The inserted heterogeneous part, in spite of repetition, was hard to be joined closely in the former work, and tended to be neglected without intention against the instruction.
(III) These many above mentioned sorts of errors can be apprehended by considering the nature of the mental works and consequently of the mental action, and can be attributed to three fundamental conditions as follows;
(1) Errors which appeared when, owing to the meaningless movement (or standstill), the instruction was neglected.-(I)(1),(7) are implied.
(2) Errors which appeared when the mental action, which was advancing to a certain direction according to the instruction, being influenced from outside, diverted to any other direction, and the former structure was destroyed.-(I)(5),(6) are implied.
(3) Errors which appeared when the mental action, by habituation or owing to the previous experiences, naturally determined its own direction and proceeded towards it, which deviated from the original way given by the instruction.-(I)(2),(3),(4).(II)(1),(5) are implied.
