Psychology : an introductory manual for the use of students / by F. Ryland.

  • Ryland, Frederick, 1854-1902.
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Psychology : an introductory manual for the use of students / by F. Ryland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    states the relation thus: “ Generally speaking, plea- sures are the concomitants of medium activities, where the activities are of kinds liable to be in excess or defect; and where they are of kinds not liable to be excessive, pleasure increases as the activity increases, except where the activity is either constant or in- voluntary.” He shows that “pleasures are the incen- tives to life-supporting acts, and pains deterrents from life-destroying acts.” This is brought about by the Survival of the Fittest; since those races of animals whose pleasures and pains are not the correlatives of acts which are respectively beneficial and injurious, must disappear. But it applies less to men, because men are more complex, the unfit are not allowed to disappear, and the environment is ever changing, and thus demanding re-adaptation on our part.1 Pleasure accompanies moderate and just super- moderate stimulation; while pain is produced by excess of stimulation and conflict of stimulation. As a stimulus is increased from a very moderate to a very high degree of intensity we have the following phases shading off into each other. (1) Sensation without appreciable feeling of pleasure or pain; (2) increased sensation with some degree of pleasure ; (3) increased sensation with diminished degree of plea- sure; (4) increased sensation slightly painful; (5) increased sensation of less definite quality extremely painful; (6) increased sensation with scarcely any