Thus, by the mere action of frequency of connection, r_{ 1} is connected with _a_; the bonds from _a_ to anything except r_{ 1} are being counteracted, and the slight bonds from anything except _a_ to r_{ 1} are being counteracted. The element _a_ becomes predominant in situations containing it; and its bond toward r_{ 1} becomes relatively enormously strengthened and freed from competition.
These three processes occur in a similar, but more complicated, form if the situations _a_ + _b_, _a_ + _g_, etc., are replaced by _a_ + _b_ + _c_ + _d_ + _e_ + _f_, _a_ + _g_ + _h_ + _i_ + _j_ + _k_, etc., and the responses r_{ 1} + r_{ 2}, r_{ 1} + r_{ 7}, r_{ 1} + r_{ 12}, etc., are replaced by r_{ 1} + r_{ 2} + r_{ 3} + r_{ 4} + r_{ 5} + r_{ 6}, r_{ 1} + r_{ 7} + r_{ 8} + r_{ 9} + r_{ 10} + r_{ 11}, etc.--_provided the_ r_{ 1}, r_{ 2}, r_{ 3}, r_{ 4}, etc., _can be made singly_. In so far as any one of the responses is necessarily co-active with any one of the others (so that, for example, r_{ 13} always brings r_{ 26} with it and _vice versa_), the exact relations of the numbers recorded in schemes like schemes I, II, and III on pages 172 to 174 will change; but, unless r_{ 1} has such an inevitable co-actor, the general results of schemes I, II, and III will hold good. If r_{ 1} does have such an inseparable co-actor, say r_{ 2}, then, of course, _a_ can never acquire bonds with r_{ 1} alone, but everywhere that r_{ 1} or r_{ 2} appears in the preceding schemes the other element must appear also. r_{ 1} r_{ 2} would then have to be used as a unit in analysis.
The '_a_ + _b_,' '_a_ + _g_,' '_a_ + _l_,' ... '_a_ + _B_' situations may occur unequal numbers of times, altering the exact numerical relations of the connections formed and presented in schemes I, II, and III; but the process in general remains the same.
So much for the effect of use and disuse in attaching appropriate response elements to certain subtle elements of situations. There are three main series of effects of satisfaction and discomfort. They serve, first, to emphasize, from the start, the desired bonds leading to the responses r_{ 1} + r_{ 2}, r_{ 1} + r_{ 7}, etc., to the total situations, and to weed out the undesirable ones. They also act to emphasize, in such comparisons and contrasts as have been described, every action of the bond from _a_ to r_{ 1}; and to eliminate every tendency of _a_ to connect with aught save r_{ 1}, and of aught save _a_ to connect with r_{ 1}. Their third service is to strengthen the bonds produced of appropriate responses to _a_ wherever it occurs, whether or not any formal comparisons and contrasts take place.