An Analysis of the Action Consciousness, Based on the Simple Reaction: Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Cornell University for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Joseph Herschel Coffin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0484639730 ISBN 13: 9780484639736

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

How the mind turns a stimulus into action—and what that reveals about thinking itself.

This analysis traces the development and use of the Reaction Experiment across science and psychology, showing how researchers measure the tempo of conscious processes and what those measures imply about attention, perception, and volition.

Drawing from historical and technical sources, the work surveys four major uses of the reaction test: in astronomy for the personal equation, in physiology for nerve-transmission speed, as a method to study the speed of thought, and as a tool to explore consciousness. It explains how investigators moved from simple responses to more complex questions about attention, apperception, and the time course of ideas, with a focus on the preparation period that precedes a response. The text balances theory with practical discussion of experimental setup, measurement, and the role of introspection in interpreting results.

• Five-step model of the response process, from stimulus transmission to movement.
• Differences between muscular and sensorial reaction and how preparation shapes outcomes.
• The importance of attention, apperception, and pattern matching in recognizing stimuli.
• How introspection is used to complement objective measurements without compromising results.

Ideal for readers interested in the history and methods of psychology, this edition offers a clear view of how early researchers linked mental processes with observable behavior.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0484639730
• ISBN 13: 9780484639736
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 53