PSYCHOPHYSICAL METHODS AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE KINAESTHETIC FIGURAL AFTER‐EFFECT

Abstract

Recently Eysenck found that hysterics displayed greater figural after‐effects than dysthymics do in a situation involving judgements of width of a wooden block by touch, before and after experience of a wider block. In the present research three groups of subjects were tested in a similar situation with some modifications. There was no correlation between extraversion and figural after‐effect: however, there was a correlation with one of the constant errors which might under some circumstances give rise to an apparent relation with figural after‐effect. Two other groups gave pseudo‐figural after‐effects although never exposed to a wider block. It was concluded that extraverts do not necessarily show larger figural after‐effects, and that the exact method of determination of such effects is far more important than is generally assumed.