VARIATIONS IN THE SPEED OF WRITING OF SYMBOL COMBINATIONS IN GREGG SHORTHAND.

516 Pages·019.133 MB·English

by  KLEIN, ABRAHAM

18-13,523 . s
LD3907
• E3
19^0 K le in , Abraham, 1911-
oj(^ V a ria tio n s in the speed of w ritin g
o f symbol com binations in Gregg
shorthand; an a n a ly tic a l study o f th e
- e f f e c t of v a ria b le s o f joining on the
Cl{-9^92,]fspeed of w ritin g of symbol com bina-
v .l ti o n s and t h e i r c o n stitu e n t elem ents
Clp9^93,y in Gregg shorthand. New York, 19^9.
v.2 ^ 2 v .( v,508 ty p e w ritte n leaves) illu 3 .
v _ 3_/2 nr’f a b le s ,f o r m s . 29cm.
T hesis (Ph. T^-0 - New York U n iv e r­
s i t y , School jl E ducation, 19^0.
Bibliography : v . l ,p .3^6-31^. o|, ^
THIS DISSERATI ON HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED.
BEST COPY AVAI LABLE
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VARIATIONS IN THE SHED OF WRITING OF SYMBOL COMBINATIONS
IV
IN GREGG SHORTHAND
An Analytical Study of the E ffect of Variables of Joining
on the Speed of Writing of Symbol Combinations and their
Constituent Elements in Gregg Shorthand.
ABRAHAM KUSIN
Submitted in partial fulfillm ent of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of
New York University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Topic Page
I The Problem - Its Significance and Scope........................................... 1
purpose and Significance.................... 1
Delimitations . .......................................................................... 7
Specific Aspects.......................................................................... 10
Related Studies....................................................................................... 14
II Procedure in Collecting Data..................................................................... 10
Selection of Personnel..................................................................... 18
Selection of Symbol Combinations . ....................................... 22
List of Symbol Combinations........................................ 25
- Dictation Materials.............................................................................. 26
Division of Symbol Combinations into Five Groups. . 27
Student L is t ..................................................................... 27
' Expert L ist............................................... 30
Testimony "take".......................................................................... 33
Congressional-Record "take" .......................... 37
Method of Obtaining Subjective Reactions of Students
and experts..................................................................... 38
The Questionnaire..................................................................... 39
Apparatus Used in Taking the Motion Pictures . . . . . . 41
Camera.................................................................................. 41
Film.................................................................................................... 42
Clock............................................................................................... 42
M eter............................................................................................... 44
Lighting........................................................................................... 44
Making of the Phonograph Record......................... 45
Notebooks and Phonograph. ................................................ 47
Apparatus and Materials Required for Analysis of
the Data.................................................... 47
Motion Picture Projector. . . . • • • • • • • • • « 47
Screen. ............................................ 50
Data Forms....................................................................................... 50
Checking the Symbol Combinations................................................ 52
D ifficulties and Problems Encountered. . . . . . . . . . 52
Finding the Proper Angle. ......................... 52
Problem of Filming the Notebook, Clock, and Hand. . 58
Turning the Page of the Notebook................................... 59
Counting the Frames . . . . . . • • > .......................... 59
Locating the Equipment..................................... 60
Developing of the Film. .................................................... 61
Filming the Left-Handed Writer...................................................62
Determination of Pen Movement........................................... 62
Heat and V entilation........................... 63
C <.949 Z
Chapter Topic Page
III Findings................................................................................................................. 64
Part I - Variations in Speed of Writing of Symbol
Combinations Occurring at the Beginnings and Ends
of Words........................................................................................................ 64
Students....................................................- ................................... 66
Experts................................................................................................ 68
Comparison of Students and Experts....................................... 68
Pauses.................................................................................................... 70
Tables start o n ............................................................................... 73
Part II - Variations in Speed of Writing of Symbol
Combinations Containing Clockwise and Counterclock­
wise Elements................................................................. 94
Students - s-c and s -c c .................................................. 94
Experts - s-c and s-cc................................................................. 95
Students - s-a.................................................................................. 101
Experts - s-a . . ..................................................................... 101
Comparison of Experts and Students - s-c. 101
Comparison of Experts and Students - s-cc . . . . . 102
Comparison of Experts and Students - s-a. 102
Pauses................................................................................................... 103
Tables start o n .............................................................................. 104
Part III - Variations in Speed of Writing of Symbol
Combinations and their D erivatives............................................... 118
Students............................................................................................... 118
Expert ............................................................................................... 119
Comparison of Experts and Students....................................... 120
Pauses................................................................................................... 121
Tables start o n .............................................................................. 122
Part IV - Variations in Speed of Writing of Words
and Phrases Represented by Identical Combinations. . . . 142
Students............................................................................................... 142
Expert ............................................................................................... 143
Comparison of Experts and Students....................................... 147
Pauses................................................................................................... 148
Constituent Elements. ................................................................. 148
Students.................................................................................. 149
Experts...................................................................................... 150
Discussion..................................................................... 151
Comparison of Students and Experts........................... 152
Tables start o n .............................................................................. 154
Part V - Variations in Speed of Writing of Symbol
Combinations Alike in All Respects Except for One
Constituent Element......................................................................... 190
Students.............................................................................................. 190
Expert ............................................................................................... 191
Comparison of Experts and Students....................................... 191
Constituent Elements..................................................................... 192
Identical Elements........................................................ 192
Varying Elements................................................................ 193
ii
Chapter Topio Page
Comparison of Students and Experts in the
Writing of the Identical Elements.......................... 194
Comparison of Students and Experts in the
Writing of the Varying Elements.............................. 195
Pauses................................................................................ 195
Tables start o n ........................................................................ 196
The Questionnaire.................................................................................. 217
Question 1...................................................................................... 218
Question 2...............................................................................................221
Question 3..................................................................................... 223
Question 4..................................................................................... 224
Question 5...................................................................................... 225
Question 6 . ................................................................................. 225
Question 7...................................................................................... 227
Tables start on..................................................................................... 228
IV Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations . 235
Specific Problem 1 ............................................................................ 235
Summary of Findings............................................................... 235
Conclusion........................................... 236
Specific Problem 2 . . . ................................................................. 236
Summary of Findings............................................................... 236
Conclusion.................................. 236
Specific Problem 3 ............................................... 237
Summary of Findings............................................................... 237
Conclusion..................................................................................... 237
Recommendations........................................................................ 238
Specific Problem 4 ........................................................................... 239
Summary of Findings .......................................................... 239
Conclusion..................................................................................... 239
Recommendations • .................................................. 239
Specific Problem 5 ............................................................................ 240
Summary of Findings ........................................................... 240
Conclusion............................................................................ 240
Specific Problem 6 « - ...................................................... • 241
Summary of Findings ...................................... 241
Conclusions............................................................................ • 241
Recommendations . .............................................................. 242
Specific Problem 7 ............................................................................ 243
Summary of Findings...................................... 243
Conclusions................................................................................ 243
Specific Problem 8 ............................................................................ 243
Summary of Findings............................................................... 244
Conclusions............................................................................ 244
Specific Problem 9 ............................................................................ 244
Summary of Findings............................................................... 244
Conclusions................................................................................ 244
Recommendations .......................................................... 245
Specific Problem 10........................................................................... 246
Summary of Findings............................................................... 246
Conclusion...................................................................................... 246
ill
Chapter Topic Page
Specific Problem 11.............................................................................. 246
Summary of Findings................................................................. 246
Conclusions....................................................... 247
Recommendations ..................................................................... 247
Specific Problem .............................................................................. 248
Summary of Findings (Words)................................................ 248
Conclusion (Words)..................................................................... 248
Recommendations......................................................................... 249
Summary of Findings (Derivatives)................................... 249
Conclusions (Derivatives) . ........................................... 249
Recommendations......................................................................... 250
Specific Problem 13............................................................................. 250
Summary of Findings................................................................. 250
Conclusion....................................................................................... 250
Specific Problem 14.............................................................................. 251
Summary of Findings................................................................. 251
Conclusions . . ........................................................................ 251
Recommendations......................................................................... 251
Specific Problem 15. ...................................... 253
Summary of Findings (Words)................................................ 253
Summary of Findings (Phrases)........................................... 253
Conclusions (Vfords and Phrases)....................................... 253
Recommendation.............................................................................. 254
Specific Problem 16.............................................................................. 254
Summary of Findings................................................................. 254
Conclusions................................................................................... 255
Specific Problem 17............................................................................. 256
Summary of Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Conclusions .............................................................................. 257
Recommendations......................................................................... 258
Specific Problem 1 8 .......................................................................... 259
Summary of Findings................................................................. 259
Conclusions .............................................................................. 260
Recommendation.............................................................................. 261
Specific Problem 19............................................................................. 261
Summary of Findings................................................................. 261
Symbol Combinations........................................ 261
Constituent Elements. ...................... 262
Identical Elements................................... 262
Varying Elem ents....................................... 262
Conclusions................................................................................... 263
Symbol Combinations......................................................... 263
Constituent Elements.................... 263
Identical Elements..................... 263
Varying Elements....................................... 263
Specific Problem 20 .............................................................................. 264
Summary of Findings................................................................. 264
Symbol Combinations. ........................................... 264
Constituent Elem ents........................................ 264
Identical Elements................................... 265
Varying Elem ents....................................... 265
iv
Chapter Topic Page
Conclusions ..............................
Symbol Combinations........................................................ 285
Constituent Elements............................... . • • 266
Identical Elements................................... 266
Varying Elements . » • • • • • • • • 266
Re commendat ion.............................................................................. ^87
Specific Problem 21. . .................................................................. 268
Summary of Findings.................................................... 268
Symbol Combinations................................. 268
Constituent Elements........................................... 269
Identical Elements................................... 269
Varying Elements....................................... 269
Conclusions .........................................................* 288
Symbol Combinat ions........................................................ 278
Constituent Elements........................................... 270
Identical Elements................................... 270
Varying Elements ................................... 270
Recommendations ................................................................. 27^-
Speoific Problem .............................................................................. 271
Summary of Findings . ......................................................... 272
Conclusions .................................................... . . . 272
Pauses........................................................................................................ 273
Summary of Findings ............................................................. 275
Conclusions .................................................... 277
Recommendations.................................. 278
Tables Start on.......................................................................... 27®
General Summary of Conclusions ............................................ 289
V Additional Findings................................................................................... 2^3
Specific Questions Answered. .................................................... 283
Ten-Second Interval............................................................................. 2^4
Time Spent in Actual 'Writing................................................. 294
Time Spent in Pausing......................... 888
Time Spent Between O utlines............................................. 303
Time Spent in Line Returns. ................................... 304
Summary and Discussion ....................................... 305
Analysis of Martin Dupraw's Writing at 140 WHI........................... 307
Symbol Combinations Occurring Qt the Beginnings
and Ends of Words................................................... 888
Symbol Combinations Containing Clockwise and Counter­
clockwise C ir cle s...................... 318
Symbol Combinations and Their Derivatives. . . . . . . . 325
Words and Phrases Represented by Identical Combinations. 331
Symbol Combinations Alike in All Respects Except
for One Const ituent Element. • • • • • • • • • • • « • • 338
General Summary of Dupraw’s Writing at 140 YIPM.................. 344
Bibliography.................................................................................................... 346
Appendices........................................................................................................ 348
v
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM - ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND SCOPE
Purpose and Significance of the Problem
The investigator, interested in the improvement of instruction of stu­
dents preparing for the profession of shorthand reporting, made a comparison
by means of motion pictures of the writing of three of the fastest Gregg
shorthand reporters in the United States and ten of his Hunter College pupils.
The need for the improvement of instruction of pupils who are striving to
attain this level of shorthand skill (140 to 175 words per minute) is evident
from the following discussion.
In the past, very little attention has been paid by teachers to the
preparation of students for the reporting field because reporting was re­
stricted mainly to the courts and conventions and the number of pupils pre­
paring for this field in comparison to the number preparing for business was
small indeed. But today "Thousands of important city, county, state, and
national committees and boards also have their shorthand reporters.”^
Blanchard and Zoubek state:
The demand for writers of this caliber far exceeds the
supply, mainly because facilities for training writers in
large numbers beyond the speed of 120 words a minute have
not been available. A few universities and private business
schools have established high-speed classes, and their suc­
cess is encouraging others to do likewise,
1. C. I. Blanchard and C. E. Zoubek, Expert Shorthand Speed Course, p. iii.
2. Loo, oit.
2
To f ill this gap of lack of instructional materials, these authors wrote the
text, Expert Shorthand Speed Course.
With the increased demand for reporters writing from 140 to 175 words
per minute and with the publication of materials and a systematic training
program for such writers,'*' all of which are likely to increase the number
of high-speed shorthand courses throughout the country, 'it appears that an
investigation of the differences and sim ilarities existing in the writing
of experts and shorthand-reporting students should be well worth while«*^_
O
Just as in typewriting, a study of the writing of experts may reveal a
great deal that is of importance to the teacher and the shorthand student.
Such information should result in improved methods of developing higher skills
and improved teaching procedures at all levels of learning, but especially at
the higher levels where the students are preparing for reporting work. The
investigator, through the present study, has attempted to contribute to an
understanding of some of the factors involved.
There are a number of combinations of Gregg shorthand alphabetic charac­
ters which are typical of the system such as (Z (pr), a combination of
the Gregg shorthand letters (Z (p) and (r); and-^0 "^ (da), a combina­
tion of the shorthand letters (d) and o (a). Any discoveries made
concerning the execution of these combinations by expert writers is capable
1. C. I. Blanchard and C. E. Zoubek, A Course of Study for Teaching High­
speed Gregg Shorthand, New York: The Gregg Publishing Company, 1946.
* A more general study is suggested by Clyde Eugene Rowe in his thesis,
The Writing of Infrequently Used Words, p. 87, as a problem for further
research: "What are the writing characteristics of experts, and
poor and good writers of shorthand?"
2. A. Dvorak, N. L. Merrick, W. L. Dealey, and G. C. Ford, Typewriting
Behavior. New York: American Book Company, 1936, pp. 33, 128, 150,
247 , 271, 310 , 435, 464.
W. F. Book, The Psychology of Skill with Special Reference to its Acquisi­
tion in Typewriting. The Gregg Publishing Company: New York, 1925.
of immediate application to the following: £ (br), C ^ (b l), C (pl)»
(ta), ^ (te), ___^(m a),-------D (m e), ___<—^(mema), .----- (meme),
—c^(na), ^ (ne). Since such combinations occur frequently at the beginnings
or ends of words, the value of the study of hut one example from each group
is obvious. That is why these combinations have been referred to as "typical."
The word "typical" is being used here in the sense of "Combining or exhibiting
the essential characteristics of a group.
The question immediately arises: v/hich typical combinations are more dif­
ficult of execution than others? A motion-picture study may indicate that
some combinations are more difficult to execute and therefore merit special
attention on the part of the teacher, and special practice or practice of a
different kind on the part of the pupil than has heretofore been suggested.
Until the motions of the experts are studied in detail, the answer to this
question can never be known.
Another question of paramount importance to teachers of Gregg shorthand
is: How shall teachers of shorthand direct students to practice certain com­
binations which they find difficult to execute fluently? Sometime ago in his
high-speed shorthand class at the Hunter College Evening Session this investi­
gator was asked by one of his pupils how to execute rapidly th is combination,
, which stands for the Gregg-shorthand phrase as far as possible.
The best answer he was able to give the student was, "First write this, ,
as often as necessary until you can write it fluently. Then tack on the rest
of the combination." John R. Gregg, who advocates this method of practice,
1. Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language, Second
Edition, Unabridged. Springfield, Massachusetts: G. & C. Merriam
Webster Company, p. 2751,