WHITE-BLACK PREFERENCE TESTS
MALES FIRST SERIES SECOND SERIES
WHITE
BLACK WHITE BLACK
No. 10 3 7 3 7
18 5 5 5
5
20 2 8 4
6
152 4 6 6 4
210 4 6 4 6
214 6 4 3 7
220 5 5 3 7
230 4 6 2 8
410 4 6 5 5
420 4 6 9 1
Averages 4.1 5.9 4.4 5.6
No. 11 5 5 4 6
151 6 4 5
5
215 2 8 2
8
213 2 8 5
5
225 4 6 2
8
227 4 6 6
4
235 6 4 4
6
415 2 8 4
6
425 5 5 8
2
229 2 8 5
5
Averages 3.8 6.2 4.5 5.5
That the dancers should prefer to enter the dark rather
than the light box is not surprising in view of the
fact that the nests in which they were kept were ordinarily
rather dark. But whatever the basis of the preference,
it is clear that it must be taken account of in the
visual discrimination experiments, for an individual
which strongly preferred black might choose correctly,
to all appearances, in its first black-white series.
Such a result would demonstrate preference, and therefore
one kind of discrimination, but not the formation
of a habit of choice by discrimination. The preference
for black is less marked in the second series of tests
because the mouse as it becomes more accustomed to
the experiment box tends more and more to be influenced
by other conditions than those of brightness.
The record sheets for both series almost invariably
indicate a strong tendency to continue to go to the
left or the right entrance according to the way by
which the animal escaped the first time. This
cannot properly be described as visual choice, for
the mouse apparently followed the previous course
without regard to the conditions of illumination.
We have here an expression of the tendency to the
repetition of an act. It is only after an animal
acquires considerable familiarity with a situation
that it begins to vary its behavior in accordance
with relatively unimportant factors in the situation.
It is this fact, illustrations of which may be seen
in human life, as well as throughout the realm of
animal behavior, that renders it imperative that an
animal be thoroughly acquainted with the apparatus
for experimentation and with the experimenter before
regular experiments are begun. Any animal will
do things under most experimental conditions, but to
discover the nature and scope of its ability it is
necessary to make it thoroughly at home in the experimental
situation. As the dancer began to feel at home
in the visual discrimination apparatus it began to
exercise its discriminating ability, the first form
of which was choice according to position.
