This study was intended to clarify the conditions o Meaning-formation by experimental method.
Experiment I Problem: Formation of meaning
Method: 98 “meaningless” cards were used. They were of 14 different colours, each colour having 7 different positions on card.(See Fig. I). 7 subjects (graduates and college students, majoring in psychology) were told to classify the cards without any limit.
Result: 7 subjects classified them in entirely different groups.
Experiment II Problem: It was aimed to secure the criteria of classifications in Exp. I.
Method: This time, the same subjects were told to classify the cards with various limits.
Exp. II
a Classification in a certain number of groups (for instance, 2 or 3).
Exp. II
b Classification by colour (of the figure) only.
Exp. II
b' Classification by colour, but in a certain number of groups.
Exp. II
c Classification by position (of the figure) only.
Exp. II
c' Classification by position, but in a certain number of groups.
Exp. II
d Classification by figure only.
Exp. II
d' Classification by figure, but in a certain number of groups.
Result: By comparison of the results in Exp. I with those in Exp. II of the same person, the crieria of classification in Exp. I was somewhat secured.
In Exp. II
b and Exp. II
c all subjects clas ified the cards in a most t e same manner.
In Exp. II
d all subjects classified them in entirely different manners. Each classification in Exp. II
b, II
c and II
d was guessed from that in Exp. II
b', II
c' and II
d'.
Experiment III Problem: It was aimed to decide whether each group in Exp. I (and II) had a definite criterium or not, and if so, then whe her it could be understood by other persons or not.
Method: The multiple choice apparatus was used.(See Fig. II). The experimenter took one card out of the group that was to be examined, and mixed it with 6 cards taken at random out of the whole cards excepting those of that group (only 7 cards being placed on the apparatus). While 7 cards were placed on the apparatus by the subjects (different from those of Exp. I and II), each card corresponding to each button, the bell was connected secretly with the button which corresponded to the card which was to be examined. The subjects had to press the button till the bell rang, then one set came to the end. In the following sets they had to try as before till they found out the relation among the cards and rang the bell at once without failure consecutively to the last set of the group. Their behaviours, solution or not, showed strictly whether the meaning of that group was understood by them or not. Accordingly the “Merkmal” of their solution was regarded as the condition of meaning-formation of that group.
Result: Nearly all groups in Exp. I (and II) were clarified in this way. The criteria as follows: Sub. I Figure; Sub. II Colour and Figure; Sub. III Colour; Sub. IV not clarified; Sub. V first, Colour; second time, Position: Sub. VI Figure: Sub. VII Figure.
In detail: for instance Group 6 of Sub. I in Exp. I: The criterium was “Symmetry of the figures” and so on.
The groups of classification by colour were solved easily. Those by position were also solved easily. But those by figure were not always solved easily.
Experiment IV Problem: The same as in Exp. III. But the groups unclarified in Exp. III owing to such special conditions as the subjects rang the bell by memory, the number of cards being few and the same one repeated in 3 or 4 sets, ought to be clarified by other methods.
Method: The groups were put before the subjects (different from those of Exp.
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