Chapter I: Preface

A few words to the reader are in order. In the first place, something like an apology is due for the free way in which the author has drawn upon the original work of many fellow-psychologists, without any mention of their names. This is practically unavoidable in a book intended for the beginner, but the reader may well be informed of the fact, and cautioned not to credit the content of the book to the writer of it. The author's task has been that of selecting from the large mass of psychological information now available, much of it new, whatever seemed most suitable for introducing the subject to the reader. The book aims to represent the present state of a very active science.

Should the book appear unduly long in prospect, the longest and most detailed chapter, that on Sensation, might perfectly well be omitted, on the first reading, without appreciably disturbing the continuity of the rest.

On the other hand should any reader desire to make this text the basis of a more extensive course of reading, the lists of references appended to the several chapters will prove of service. The books and articles there cited will be found interesting and not too technical in style.

Much advantage can be derived from the use of the "Exercises". The text, at the best, but provides raw material. Each student's finished product must be of his own making. The exercises afford opportunity for the student to work over the material and make it his own.

A first or preliminary edition of this book, in mimeographed sheets, was in use for two years in introductory classes conducted by the author and his colleagues, and was subjected to exceedingly helpful criticism from both teachers and students. The revision of that earlier edition into the present form has been very much of a coöperative enterprise, and so many have coöperated that room could scarcely be found for all their names. Professor A. T. Poffenberger, Dr. Clara F. Chassell, Dr. Georgina I. Gates, Mr. Gardner Murphy, Mr. Harold E. Jones and Mr. Paul S. Achilles have given me the advantage of their class-room experience with the mimeographed book. Dr. Christine Ladd-Franklin has very carefully gone over with me the passages dealing with color vision and with reasoning. Miss Elizabeth T. Sullivan, Miss Anna B. Copeland, Miss Helen Harper and Dr. A. H. Martin have been of great assistance in the final stages of the work. Important suggestions have come also from several other universities, where the mimeographed book was inspected.

R. S. W. Columbia University August, 1921

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

PAGE

WHAT PSYCHOLOGY IS AND DOES 1

Varieties of Psychology 2

Psychology as Related to Other Sciences 5

The Science of Consciousness 7

The Science of Behavior 8

Introspection 10

Objective Observation 11

General Lines of
Psychological Investigation 14

Summary and Attempt at a Definition 17

Exercises 19

References 20

CHAPTER II

REACTIONS 21

The Reaction Time Experiment 22

Reflex Action 24

The Nerves in Reflex Action 26

Internal Construction of the
Nerves and Nerve Centers 31

The Synapse 34

Coördination 37

Reactions in General 39

Exercises 42

References 44

CHAPTER III

REACTIONS OF DIFFERENT LEVELS 45

Different Sorts of Stimuli 47

The Motor Centers, Lower and Higher 49

How the Brain Produces
Muscular Movements 53

Facilitation and Inhibition 54

Super-motor Centers in the Cortex 56

Speech Centers 57

The Auditory Centers 59

The Visual Centers 62

Cortical Centers for the Other Senses 68

Lower Sensory Centers 64

The Cerebellum 66

Different Levels of Reaction 65

Exercises 67

References 67

CHAPTER IV

TENDENCIES TO REACTION 68

Purposive Behavior 70

Organic States that Influence Behavior 72

Preparation for Action 74

Preparatory Reactions 77

What the Preparatory
Reactions Accomplish 79

What a Tendency Is,
in Terms of Nerve Action 82

Motives 84

Exercises 86

References 88

CHAPTER V

NATIVE AND ACQUIRED TRAITS 89

The Source of Native Traits 90

Reactions Appearing at
Birth Must Be Native 91

Reactions That Cannot Be
Learned Must Be Native 92

Experimental Detection
of Native Reactions 93

Is Walking Native or Acquired? 95

Universality as a Criterion
of Native Reactions 97

Some Native Traits Are
Far from Being Universal 98

Why Acquired Traits Differ from
One Individual to Another 99

What Mental Traits Are Native? 100

Exercises 103

References 104

CHAPTER VI

INSTINCT 105

The Difference Between
an Instinct and a Reflex 107

An Instinct Is a Native
Reaction-Tendency 109

Fully and Partially
Organized Instincts 111

Instincts Are Not Ancestral Habits 113

Instincts Not Necessarily Useful
in the Struggle for Existence 114

The So-called Instincts of Self-preservation and of Reproduction 115

Exercises 117

References 117

CHAPTER VII

EMOTION 118

Organic States That Are
Not Usually Classed as Emotions 119

How These Organic States
Differ from Regular Emotions 120

The Organic State in Anger 121

Glandular Responses During Emotion 122

The Nerves Concerned in
Internal Emotional Response 124

The Emotional State as
a Preparatory Reaction 125

"Expressive Movements," Another
Sort of Preparatory Reactions 126

Do Sensations of These Various
Preparatory Reactions Constitute
the Conscious State of Emotion? 128

The James-Lange Theory of the Emotions 129

Emotion and Impulse 130

Emotion Sometimes Generates Impulse 132

Emotion and Instinct 134

The Higher Emotions 136

Exercises 136

References 136

CHAPTER VIII

INVENTORY OF HUMAN INSTINCTS
AND PRIMARY EMOTIONS 137

Classification 138

Responses to Organic Needs 139

Instinctive Responses to Other Persons 145

The Play Instincts 151

Exercises 170

References 171

CHAPTER IX

THE FEELINGS 172

Pleasantness and Unpleasantness
Are Simple Feelings 173

Felling-tone of Sensations 174

Theories of Feeling 175

Sources of Pleasantness
and Unpleasantness 178

Primary Likes and Dislikes 180

Other Proposed Elementary Feelings 184

Exercises 186

References 186