That smallest value occurred in
a case in which the time was 116 seconds and the sum of the mistakes
only 3, inasmuch as 3 cards of the most difficult group where the
predominating letter occurred only 15 times were put in the wrong
piles. The shortest time among my laboratory students was 58 seconds,
but with this individual the sum of the mistakes, calculated on the
basis of the valuation agreed upon, was 13. The largest figure
mentioned resulted in a case in which the student needed 381 seconds
and yet made mistakes the sum of which amounted to 35. It is
characteristic that the person with the smallest product felt a
distinct joy in the experiment, while the one with the largest passed
through painful minutes which put him to real organic discomfort. If
we arrange the men simply in the order of these products, of course we
cannot recognize the various groups, as those who are quick but make
mistakes and those who make few mistakes but act slowly may be
represented by the same products. The coincidence of the results with
the self-characterization is frequently quite surprising. Every one
has at some time come into unexpected, suddenly arising situations and
many have received in such moments a very vivid impression of their
own mental reaction. They know quite well that they could not come to
a decision quickly enough, or that they rushed hastily to a wrong
decision, or that in just such instants a feeling of repose and
security came over them and that with sure instinct they turned in
the direction which they would have chosen after mature thought.
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