The Science of Human Nature

in the first chapter, these fields are education, medicine, law, business, and industry. We may add another which has been called "culture." We cannot say that psychology is able yet to be of very gre

will eventually be able to do is very clear. It is the purpose of this chapter

mands a knowledge of the original nature of children. This means that one must know the nature of instincts, their relations to one another, their order of development, and the possibilities of their being changed, modified, developed, suppressed. It means that one must know the nature of

s a great service through the psycho-clinicist, who will be a psychological expert working under the superintendents of our school systems. His duty will be to supervise the work of mental testin

l practitioner both in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. A thorough psychological knowledge of human nature will assist a physician in diagnosis. Often the best way to find out what ails a patient's body is through the patient's mind, and the doctor must know how to get the

mind of a sick person has much to do with his recovery. The physician must know this and must know how to induce the desired state of mind. Indeed, a patient's trouble is often imaginary, exists in the mind only; in such cases, the treatment should be wholly mental, i.e. through suggestion. Of course, the best physicians k

of evidence. Psychology can now give the general principles in this matter. Witnesses go on the stand and swear to all sorts of things as to what they heard and saw and did, often months and even years previously. The expert clinical psychologist can tell the co

ee of truth. Sometimes the point we feel surest about is the one farthest

oint involving the estimation of time and distance. The psychologist can measure the witness's accuracy in such estimates, often showing that what the witness claims to be able to do is an impossibility. A case may hinge on whether an interval of time

termined, and his intellectual status can also be determined. The prisoner may be insane, or feeble-minded, or have some other peculiar mental disorder. Such matters fall w

r a psychologist can be of service in a case in court, the judge should summon such assistance, just

ormation and moral training, through a better knowledge of how to control human nature. A large percentage of all crime, perhaps as much as forty per cent, is committed by feebl

mentality, could not get on well at school and therefore came to dislike school, and consequently became a truant

y become criminals, save them by proper treatment. Society owes it to every child to do the right thing for him, the right thing, whether the child is an idiot

ding newspapers and magazines, principles having to do with size and kind of type, arrangement and form, the wording of an advertisement, etc. The object of an advertisement is to get the reader interested in the article advertised. The first thing is to get him to read the advertisement

wledge of human nature. Other things being equal, that man can most influence people who has the widest knowledge of the nature of people, and of the factors that affect this nature. The successful salesman must understand human feelings an

ople to buy goods. People who employ labor need to know how to get laborers to do more and better work, how to make them loyal and happy. The minister needs to know how to induce the members of his congregation to do right. Th

ing what kinds of abilities are demanded by the various trades and occupations. (3) Helping the work

ers, it can be only general. Much misery and unhappiness come to people from trying to do what they are not fitted by nature to do. There are many professions and occupations which people should not enter unless they possess high general ability. Now, psychology is able to measure general ability. There are many other occupations and professions which people should not enter unless they possess some specia

on of work within an occupation. It is for the psychologist of the future to make this analysis and to classify the occupations with reference to the kinds of abilities demanded. Of course, many of them will be found to requi

d of life which the different fields offer. It is the further duty of the high school and college to find out, as far as possible, the specific abilities of the students. With this knowledge before them, the students should choose their careers, and then make specific preparation f

for, certain habits must be formed, certain movements must be automatized. Workmen should be helped to master these psychological problems, to find the most convenient ways of doi

a complete knowledge of his work and be skilled in its performance, and still be a poor workman, because he does not have the right attitude toward his employer or toward his work. The employer must therefore meet the problem

w meaning into the world. The ability to understand oneself, to analyze one's actions, motives, feelings, and thoughts, makes life more worth living. A knowledge of the sensations and sense organs adds much pleasure to life in addition to its having great practical value. Briefly, a psychological knowledge of human nature adds much to the richness of life. It

of evidence and in the prevention of crime; to medicine, in the work of diagnosis and treatment; to business, in advertising and salesmanship; to the in

EXER

. Note wherein psychology could be of service

te down what they saw in the picture, underscoring all the points to which they would be willing to make oath. Then the students should answer a list of questions prepared by the teacher, on various points in the picture. Some of these questions should be suggestive, such as, "What color is the dog?" supposing no dog t

lass some act or series of acts, with some conversation, and then have the st

her person in the same group, who then writes from memory his account and reads to another. This is to be continued till all have heard an account and written their own. You will then have two series

hat enable you to determine from which group they come? Wha

how many cases you can find in a week, of persons fee

ave some reference to the vital point. Read the words one by one to the person and have him speak the first word suggested by those read. Note the

d out what use they make of suggestio

e high school. In how many ways could the teachers imp

eacher-native and acquired-be m

y to learn by observation what types of mind and

for life demand any specific abilities? If

eir children if they made use

course be of economic use to you in your life? I

te outline of

S FOR CLA

y, General and Applied

Psychology of Ind

T OF REFERENCES

W. C.: Human Behavior. Th

in Relation to Eugenics.

Think. D. C. Hea

Direction of Human Evolution.

damentals of Child Study. T

y, General and Applied. D.

gy of Industrial Efficiency.

ials of Psychology. The

Educational Psychology.

ion of School Children. T

nd the Science of Teaching. Lo

inner's Psychology. The

OS

alphabetical list with brief definitions will prove helpful. It is a difficult ta

orm

ristics widely different from thos

red n

dge, ideas, and ideals that come from

ti

producing motion of the body

pta

to one's su

pti

s enable one to meet successfully new situations; also having tende

r-im

er stimulation of a sense organ, a

ciat

eas through experie

ent

ness of percep

itu

pe of response in action or a parti

o

ch makes a certain response follow a certain stimulu

aci

y of learning,

blin

nce certain colors,

mentar

ose which, mixed in the rig

gen

bo

nec

us produces a response or through whi

sci

ccompanying consciousness

ciou

as, feelings-which one has at any

so clear as others exi

l of cons

e clear as compared to othe

tra

ening of a sensation by a

elat

characteristics, or attributes that enables us,

lopm

owth, or strengthenin

ot

perience plus sensations from

ronm

about us which affect

ental in

at least in part, from the peri

eni

ective breeding or proper marriages or in s

eri

world through sensa

ti

duced by work and whi

le-m

l traits only poorly d

el

ect of experience or

cti

o any mental process or combinatio

ne

ce to origin a

bi

stimuli depending upon bonds

edi

racteristics from p

n na

ich we have as human beings, with par

ea

action with tendency toward the actions; ideas of definite conditions,

ea

d perc

ag

tions, simple

tat

we see o

pu

cy to

alistic

more immediately ser

ual dif

ysical difference

ited

ne's nature due di

tin

finite stimuli through hereditary

ectual

een ideas; definite ways of mee

ens

a sensation or image, ho

ere

erience or thinking by

rni

tions in the nervous system; acq

mo

rience; retained and

tal

itude or d

i

's conscious states

ve-

d by a nerve-stimu

nal n

of mind and body d

cei

f a thing thr

cep

through sensation or

sti

y the formation of new bo

pposi

h an argument or a system of a

im

rceptive experience as distingu

cti

y following a stimulu

son

ose; trying to mee

fl

about by a stimulus throug

pon

g a stimulus and

ent

nervous system making possib

ie

assified and

sat

usness directly due to the

ns

e. A sense is a sense organ or the abilit

e or

ng apparatus or mechanism making pos

sit

to sensation, or transm

itiv

capacity for b

ns

sense organ or

uat

mental influences

stic in

ore directly to the sur

ulat

ve process in a sense o

mul

produces

nor

stics considerabl

den

nt taking a certain directio

nki

g of image

ou

idea or gro

ini

nerve connect

idn

tions, perceptions

N

E F G H

R S T U

, special

, unusu

on of vi

ages, vi

tors,

er,

e of inst

ychology,

ion of i

matis

80 ff.; a

tude

avi

conditi

ai

s, sensat

ness

lity,

initiated

natur

sense

ing ins

functio

blindn

mixt

sensati

tion t

ated pra

iousn

rvati

Temper

ming

l, the,

culum

win

f sense o

dividual, 24 ff

of and caus

metho

ans that give

tizat

hool subjec

, world

l practic

, 210; ai

rator

ce of

al infere

al psycho

ency,

ons,

onmen

ntal inst

vy

tion,

ions,

rsio

8; organiz

ment,

the

fects,

trai

htedne

gue,

ar

mindedn

ng, 7

g insti

drill,

ion frequency

ociation

of exper

insti

iew of ch

ius

f.; and ner

rmed,

ce in li

lectu

al,

ought

ts of

ific

41; defec

ity,

vs. Envir

ge, so

ourth grade abili

ol, funct

moral tra

ea

as,

tion,

on in i

tal dri

developme

differenc

listic in

stry

ncing

itanc

tendenci

ative

ff.; classif

icance

rest

between pr

ousy

ense orga

s law

nd thinkin

ge stu

in,

e of psycho

and remem

g by wh

cupatio

memory

ng, 1

cine

s, kind

ff.; and age

abit,

ol stand

inking

s of,

rs resultin

s of

an prin

develop

nces, 178; det

nce of,

ctions dev

l set

tests,

d body,

od

raining

ive

ar spe

school

l abil

ghtedn

of chi

tenden

ental test

ation

es test

n of experi

sen

-formation of chil

ption

al basis of

laying,

ch,

tici

ay

e and h

higher f

ice,

experi

y and cul

efined, 5; m

lems

t of, 18 ff.; im

g stud

159; trai

forgotten

of exper

erati

titi

for auth

blanc

, the,

experi

dity

memor

habit-form

mansh

t, 108; and mora

community c

enc

tific

tist,

efficie

ng habi

of stimulating, 6, 7

s experi

ll,

fe of chi

tendenc

ulat

and res

arning ho

al chil

ution t

te,

emory work, 142; function

too abs

ramen

sense org

g, 152

ch,

training,

ncie

ting, 5

7; import

contr

intensity of e

erin

, sens

showing frequenc

ilding

psychol