The combined appeal to the spirits is often sup-
posed to be answered by a sign or augury. This
gives confidence to the idolaters that they will be
saved, and there results such a practical good as
the passing of fear or the unification of group effort
in meeting the misfortune. This persistence of child-
ish reactions in the group makes fertile ground for
the growth of certain vocations connected with cere-
mony, divination, magic and sacrifice. Thus there
are found groups of professional conjurers, magi-
cians, medicine men, priests, and augurs who select
and organize the ritual of festivals, incantation cere-
monies, and temple life.
In our own civilization childish responses in the



SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 229

face of danger or misfortune are by no means lack-
ing. The adult male, Ms early tendencies to depend
on nurse or mother long overlaid by habits of prac-
tical self-reliance, will, when sick and taken to the
hospital, exercise again his infantile responses. He
tolerates with considerable satisfaction the personal
service of his nurse, querulously demands attention,
is jealous of other patients, becomes fretful upon
small provocation, and is pleased by trifles.
Man first shows generosity and kindliness ia gen-
eral to his family group because his early childhood
is spent at home. The attachment of these response
tendencies to the father, mother, brother, sister-
situation makes it useful to employ family names to
elicit these friendly responses toward society when
the child becomes an adult and leaves his home.
