PSYCHOLOGICAL LABORATORIES. The first lab oratory for the pursuit of researches in psycho physics and experimental psychology (qq.v.) was founded by 'Wilhelm Wundt at Leipzig in 1879. Laboratories have now been established at most of the leading German universities. The first laboratory in the States was found ed at the Johns Hopkins University in 1881 by G. S. hall, but laboratories are now the rule rather limn the exception in American 'universi ties and colleges.
France has an excellent laboratory at the Sor bonne, Paris. England has small laboratories at Cambridge and London, hut has so far done for the cause of experimental psychology. Valuable investigations have also come from Denmark (Copenhagen). Sweden (Upsala), Nor way (Christiania), Belgium (Liege), liolland (Groningen and Utrecht). Austria (Vienna and Russia (Saint Petersburg, and Aloscow), and .Japan (Tokio), some of them from psycholo gical laboratories proper, and some from labora tories of physiology.
The recent development of psychology as a science, the multiplicity of problems that crowd upon the investigator. the varied training of the men who have devoted themselves to psychologic al experiment, and the makeshifts to which psychologists are forced by inadequate labora tory accommodation, render it exceedingly diffi cult to give any typical description of the ar rangement and furnishing of the psychological laboratory. We may, however, say, without much fear of contradiction, that the 'ideal' lab oratory would present at least the following features: There should be (1) a large lectnre room or auditorium, capable of seating some 300 with a good demonstration table and arrangements for lantern projection. Be hind the lecture-room, and opening into it, should be (2) a musemn or storeroom, in which arc dis played not only all the demonstration instru ments required for a general lecture course, but also series of standard pieces illustrating the historical development of experimental method. (3) For work in optics, there should he two dark roonis. adjoining, and connected, and it would he well if the larger of the two, the anteroom, should have a window opening into the general lecture-room. This anteroom is necessary for the demonstration of certain phenomena of con trast (q.v.), for work on visual adaptation, on association of ideas, etc., etc.; while the inner room is useful for more refined investigation e.g. for spectrometric research. The window in
the side of the lecture-room gives the lecturer a black background against which certain demon strations can be made, without darkening the lecture-room itself, far more effectually than against a black screen. (4) For acoustics, there should he available a suite of three rooms, one of which should be made, as far as possible, sound-proof, as well as light-proof, and all of which should be connected by acoustic tubes for the transmission of auditory stimuli. (5) For work upon the sense of smell, there should be a special room. with tiled floor and glazed walls and especial ventilating arrangements. The rest of the laboratory proper should lie taken up with large rooms, well aired and lighted, for class work in the practice courses: a set of small, closet-like rooms, oceupied by advanced students; a series of rooms devoted to observations upon the lower animals; a centrally situated room, containing the measuring instruments (chrono scopes, chronographs, etc.), upon w'aie11 a call may be made from any part of the laboratory; the private laboratories of the instructing staff; and a library and writing-room. The only other feature of the laboratory that demands separate mention is HD the workshop, which should lie adequately fitted with the tools needed for wood and metal work, and should have an abundant power supply.
The instrumental outfit of the laboratory is described under the heading Psveitotontent. AP A few points as regards furniture and fixtures may he noticed here. Every room should be supplied with gas and electricity, and certain rooms (for which absolute quiet is not essential) with water. The rooms employed for class work should have small, low tables, accommodating each a pair of students. and shal low, glass-fronted wall eases to contain the in struments when not in use. Comfort on the part of the observer is essential to good intro spection; for this reason there should be spe cial narrow tables for experiments upon smell and taste; couches or reclining chairs for work upon the cutaneous sensations; and high desks for certain experiments upon visual contrast and after-images. The whole laboratory must be wired for telephone or bell signals, so that any two available rooms may be connected together for a particular investigation without disturb ance to other workers by passage to and fro between them.