3. It follows that the concept of association can gain a fixed, and in any particular case unequivocal, significance, only association is regarded as an elementary process which never shows itself in the actual psychical processes except in and or less complex form, so that the only way to find out character of elementary association is to subject its complex products to a psychological analysis. The ordinarily so-called associations (the successive associations) are only one, and loosest at that, of all the forms of combination. In contrast with these we have the closer combinations from which the [p. 227] different kinds of psychical compounds arise and to which we apply the general name fusions, because of the closeness of the union (p. 94, sq.). The elementary processes from which the compounds, the intensive, spacial, and temporal ideas, composite feelings, the emotions, and the volitional processes arise, are, accordingly, to be considered as associative processes. For the purpose of practical discrimination, however, it will be well to limit the word "association" to those combining processes which take place between elements of different compounds. This narrower meaning which we give the term in contrast with fusion, is in one respect an approach to the meaning that it had in older psychology for it refers exclusively to the interconnection of compounds in consciousness. It differs from the older concept, however, in two important characteristics. First it is here regarded as an elementary process, or, when we are dealing with complex phenomena, as a product of such elementary processes. Secondly, we recognize, just as in the fusions, simultaneous associations as well as successive. In fact, the former are to be looked upon as the earlier. A. SIMULTANEOUS ASSOCIATIONS .
4. Simultaneous associations made up of elements from psychical compounds may be divided into two classes: into assimilations, or associations between the elements of like compounds, and complications, or associations elements of unlike compounds. Both may take place, in accordance with our limitation of the concept association, between those compounds only which are themselves simultaneous combinations, that is, between intensive and spacial ideas between composite feelings. [p. 228] a. Assimilations 5. Assimilations are a form of association that is continually met with, especially in the case of intensive spacial ideas. It is an essential supplement to the process of formation of ideas by fusion. In the case of composite feelings this form of combination never seems to appear except where we have at the same time an assimilation of ideational elements. It is most clearly demonstrable with certain single components of the product of an assimilation given through external sense-impressions, while others believe to earlier ideas. In such a case the assimilation may be demonstrated by the fact that certain components of ideas which are wanting in the objective impression or are there represented by components other than those actually present in the idea itself, can be shown to arise from ideas. Experience shows that of these reproduced components are those are most favored which are very frequently present. Still, certain single elements of the impression are usually of more importance in determining the association than others are, so thatwhen these dominating elements are altered, as may be the case especially with assimilation of the visual sense, the product of the assimilation undergoes a corresponding change.
6. Among intensive compounds it is especially the auditory ideas which are very often the results of assimilation. They also furnish the most striking examples for the principle of frequency mentioned above. Of all the auditory ideas the most familiar are the readily available ideas of words, for these are attended to more than other sound-impressions. As a result the hearing of words is continually accompanied by assimilations; the sound-impression is incomplete, but is entirely filled out by earlier impressions, so that we do not [p. 229] notice the incompleteness. So it comes that not the correct hearing of words, but the misunderstanding of them, that is, the erroneous filling out of incomplete impressions through incorrect assimilations, is what generally leads us to notice the process.
We may find an expression of the same fact in the ease with which any sound whatever, as, for example, the cry of an animal, the noise of water, wind, machinery, etc., can be to sound like words almost at will.
7. In the case of intensive feelings we note the presence of assimilations in the fact that impressions which are accompanied by sense-feelings and elementary aesthetic feelings, very exercise a second direct affective influence for which account only when we recall certain ideas of which we are reminded by the impressions. In such cases the association is usually at first only a form of affective association and only so long as this is true is the assimilation simultaneous.
The ideational association which explains thesis, on the contrary, a later process belonging to the forms of successive association. For this reason it is hardly possible, when we have clang-impressions or color-impressions accompanied by particular feelings, or when we have simple spacial ideas, to decide what the immediate affective influence impression of itself is and what is that of the association. As a rule, in such cases the affective process is to be looked upon as the resultant of an immediate and an associative factor which unite to form a single, unitary total feeling in accordance with the general laws of affective fusion (p. 159).