Page:American Journal of Psychology Volume 21.djvu/477

This page needs to be proofread.
COLOR-NAMES OF ENGLISH SCHOOL-CHILDREN
465


Table II B

Showing the number of times each Color-Name was used

in School "S"

Color-Names Ages 3-4 Ages 4-5 All Ages Black 10 times 3 times 13 times White 10 7 17 Red 8 7 15 Blue Green 10 3 13 15 3 Yellow 6 5 ii Orange i

i Violet i 2 ^ Brown i 5 6 TABI.E II c Showing- the Percentage of ^Color-Names Correctly used in School "S' ' Ages 3-4 Ages 4-5 Color- Times Cor- Percentage of Times used Percentage of Names rectly used Correct Ans. Correctly Correct Ans. Black 2 out of 7 29 3 out of 5 60 White Red 3 5 7 14 9 5 7 5 10 100 70 Blue 6 14 43 9 IO 90 Green 3 14 21 9 IO 90 Yellow 2 7 29 3 5 60 Orange O 7

o 5

Violet I 7 14 2 5 40 children then present under 4 years of age: I was, however, able to get an adequate sample of children between 4 and 5. We note at once an increase in the number of color-names. One child, K. S., on one occasion only, falls back on the word 'Color,' and only one child, D. S., has as few as two color- names. She, it will be noted, used 'Red' and 'White' only. All the other children have at least four names, though they are not, of course, always accurately applied. The next school at which the observations were made was in a poor neighborhood with a colorless and cheerless environ- ment, though not very far removed from the bustle and move- ment of a great thoroughfare. One child, A. N., applied the name 'Blue' to every color indiscriminately; this was perhaps in her language equivalent to the word 'Color.' The latter word was not used by any child in this school; but one child used the word 'grass' for the

amber and the green beads in the second exercise. The names