Citation

McClelland DC. J. Exp. Psychol. 1943; 33(2): 81-95.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1943, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/h0055831

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

An experiment is reported in which lines about a foot long were projected in which lines about a foot long were projected upon a screen before groups of subjects, for comparison. The object was to determine whether assimilation between given lines and other lines in the background influenced the nature of time errors appearing in experiments in which visual extents are compared. The chief conditions varied were: room contours, kind of frame that surrounded the lines, and the nature of the light source. Room contours had no reliable effect on the time error. A rectangular frame surrounding the standard extent or both standard and comparison extents shifted the time errors in the positive direction. A fading stimulus source tended to shift the time error in the negative direction. Interruption of the light source yielded positive time errors only. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)