[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
ideas and that the affective action of the sensation is due in every case to these ideas. But
the results of experimental variation of the conditions for light-sensations, tell against this
view. If the attendant ideas were the only sources of the feeling, it would necessarily be
strongest when the sensational contents of the impression were most like those of the
ideas. This is by no means the case. The affective tone of a color is greatest when its
grade of saturation reaches a maximum. The pure spectral colors observed in surrounding
darkness have the strongest affective tone. These colors are, however, generally very
different from those of the natural objects to which accompanying feelings might refer.
There is just as little justification for the attempts to derive tonal feelings from such ideas
exclusively. It can not be doubted that familiar musical ideas may be aroused through a
single tone; still, on the other hand, the constancy with which certain tonal qualities are
chosen to express particular feelings, as, for example, deep tones to express grave and sad
feelings, can be understood only under the condition that the corresponding affective
quality belongs to the simple tonal sensation. The circle in which the argument moves is
still more obvious when the affective tones of sensations of taste, smell, and the general
sense are derived from the accompanying ideas. When, for example, the agreeable or
disagreeable tone of a taste-sensation is increased by the recollection of the same
impression as experienced before, this can be possible only under the condition that the
earlier impression was itself agreeable or disagreeable.
3. The varieties of simple sense-feelings are exceedingly numerous. The feelings
corresponding to a particular sensational system also form a system, since, in general, a
change in the quality or intensity of the affective tone runs parallel to every change in the
quality or intensity of the sensations. [p. 78]
At the same time these changes in the affective systems are essentially different from the
corresponding changes in the sensational systems, so that it is impossible to regard the
affective tone as a third determinant of sensations, analogous to quality and intensity. If
the intensity of a sensation is varied, the affective tone may change not only in intensity,
but also in quality; and if the quality of the sensation is varied, the affective tone usually
changes in quality and intensity both. For example, increase the sensation sweet in
intensity and it changes gradually from agreeable to disagreeable. Or, gradually substitute
for a sweet sensation one of sour or bitter, keeping the intensity constant, it will be
observed that, for equal intensifies, sour and, more especially, bitter produce a much
stronger feeling than sweet. In general, then, every in sensation is essentially
accompanied by a twofold change in feeling. The way in which changes in the quality
and intensity of affective tones are related to each other follows the principle already
stated (p. 33) that every series of affective changes in one dimension ranges between
Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com
OUTLINES OF PSYCHOLOGY
50
opposites, not, ,as is the case with the corresponding sensational changes, between
greatest differences.
4. In accordance with this principle, the greatest qualitative differences in sensations
correspond to the greatest opposites in affective quality, and to maxima of affective
intensity which are either equal or at least approximately equal, according to the special
pecularities of the qualitative opposites. The middle point between these two opposites
corresponds to an absence of all intensity, so far as only the single dimension to which
the opposites belong is concerned. This absence of intensity can be observed only when
the corresponding sensational system is absolutely one-dimensional. In all other cases, a
point which is a neutral middle for one particular series of sensational differences,
belongs at the same time to another [p. 79] sensational dimension or even to a number of
such dimensions, each of which it has a definite affective value. Thus, for example,
spectral yellow and blue are opposite colors which have corresponding opposite affective
tones. In passing gradually along the color-line from one of these to the other, green
would be the neutral middle between them. But green itself stands in affective contrast
with its opposite color, purple; and, furthermore, it is, like every saturated color, one
extremity of a series made up of the transitional stages of a single color-tone to white.
Again, the system of simple tonal sensations forms a continuity of only one dimension,
but in this case more than in others it is impossible to isolate the corresponding affective
tones through abstraction, as we did the pure sensations, because in actual experience we
always have, not only intermediate stages between tones of different pitch, but also
transitions between absolutely simple tones and noises made up of a profusion of simple
tones. The result of these conditions is that every many-dimensional sensational system [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
ideas and that the affective action of the sensation is due in every case to these ideas. But
the results of experimental variation of the conditions for light-sensations, tell against this
view. If the attendant ideas were the only sources of the feeling, it would necessarily be
strongest when the sensational contents of the impression were most like those of the
ideas. This is by no means the case. The affective tone of a color is greatest when its
grade of saturation reaches a maximum. The pure spectral colors observed in surrounding
darkness have the strongest affective tone. These colors are, however, generally very
different from those of the natural objects to which accompanying feelings might refer.
There is just as little justification for the attempts to derive tonal feelings from such ideas
exclusively. It can not be doubted that familiar musical ideas may be aroused through a
single tone; still, on the other hand, the constancy with which certain tonal qualities are
chosen to express particular feelings, as, for example, deep tones to express grave and sad
feelings, can be understood only under the condition that the corresponding affective
quality belongs to the simple tonal sensation. The circle in which the argument moves is
still more obvious when the affective tones of sensations of taste, smell, and the general
sense are derived from the accompanying ideas. When, for example, the agreeable or
disagreeable tone of a taste-sensation is increased by the recollection of the same
impression as experienced before, this can be possible only under the condition that the
earlier impression was itself agreeable or disagreeable.
3. The varieties of simple sense-feelings are exceedingly numerous. The feelings
corresponding to a particular sensational system also form a system, since, in general, a
change in the quality or intensity of the affective tone runs parallel to every change in the
quality or intensity of the sensations. [p. 78]
At the same time these changes in the affective systems are essentially different from the
corresponding changes in the sensational systems, so that it is impossible to regard the
affective tone as a third determinant of sensations, analogous to quality and intensity. If
the intensity of a sensation is varied, the affective tone may change not only in intensity,
but also in quality; and if the quality of the sensation is varied, the affective tone usually
changes in quality and intensity both. For example, increase the sensation sweet in
intensity and it changes gradually from agreeable to disagreeable. Or, gradually substitute
for a sweet sensation one of sour or bitter, keeping the intensity constant, it will be
observed that, for equal intensifies, sour and, more especially, bitter produce a much
stronger feeling than sweet. In general, then, every in sensation is essentially
accompanied by a twofold change in feeling. The way in which changes in the quality
and intensity of affective tones are related to each other follows the principle already
stated (p. 33) that every series of affective changes in one dimension ranges between
Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com
OUTLINES OF PSYCHOLOGY
50
opposites, not, ,as is the case with the corresponding sensational changes, between
greatest differences.
4. In accordance with this principle, the greatest qualitative differences in sensations
correspond to the greatest opposites in affective quality, and to maxima of affective
intensity which are either equal or at least approximately equal, according to the special
pecularities of the qualitative opposites. The middle point between these two opposites
corresponds to an absence of all intensity, so far as only the single dimension to which
the opposites belong is concerned. This absence of intensity can be observed only when
the corresponding sensational system is absolutely one-dimensional. In all other cases, a
point which is a neutral middle for one particular series of sensational differences,
belongs at the same time to another [p. 79] sensational dimension or even to a number of
such dimensions, each of which it has a definite affective value. Thus, for example,
spectral yellow and blue are opposite colors which have corresponding opposite affective
tones. In passing gradually along the color-line from one of these to the other, green
would be the neutral middle between them. But green itself stands in affective contrast
with its opposite color, purple; and, furthermore, it is, like every saturated color, one
extremity of a series made up of the transitional stages of a single color-tone to white.
Again, the system of simple tonal sensations forms a continuity of only one dimension,
but in this case more than in others it is impossible to isolate the corresponding affective
tones through abstraction, as we did the pure sensations, because in actual experience we
always have, not only intermediate stages between tones of different pitch, but also
transitions between absolutely simple tones and noises made up of a profusion of simple
tones. The result of these conditions is that every many-dimensional sensational system [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]