St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-08-06
MEMORY AND AGE.
lhe1r Clos" Relationship Shown by
Interesting Experiments.

Memory tests were made during 1891
IN some 100 pupils of this city in con-
ncCtlon with the recent anthropologica1
measurements taken under the direction,
of DIR. Franz BoaS The subjects of the
! tests included members of the grammar
schools above the second grade, of the
| state Normal Schools and Of the senior
| and second year classes at the High
School. The method of making the tests
was this in brief: A series of numbers,
In which the digits did not stand in the
accustomed order, no single digit being
repeated, was read before each class to
| be tested
| Each class was tested on four separate
occasions, in several instances where the
purpose was to determine the effect of
fatigue on the memory, the tests being
made before and after school After the
reading the pupils wrote down the num-
bcrs as they recalled them. Twelve
numbers constituted single test: 8 of 5
dlglts; of 6; 3 of :; of 3. in the
lower grades. In the higher grades and
III the High School the first three obser-
Sations were made with numbers of six
digits, and in the Normal School with
seven. Different combinations were
given at the different schools. but the
tests were essentially uniform. After
several trials pupils learned the number
of dlgits to expect at each test, and gave
their attention more to retaining the
tigu.e s i'll their respective places.
Among the facts noted are these:
Pupils ID years and over do not remember
six digits as well as pupils year younger.
Pupils of 10 years and under II fall be-
low those of $ and under 10. The
memory span increases with age rather
than with the growth of intelligence as
determined by the tests used for promot-
ing pupils from one grade to another.
The tests do not apply to the retentive-
ness of the memory; they may be CON
sidered as test of the power of concen-
trated attention and the time that it can
be kept up.
The result of the computations, based
on the data collected, have been plotted
on charts to graphically represent several
points. The lines joining the points re-
presenting respecting percentages of
correctness in the tests are admirably
summarized in eight conclusions. First
The memory span increases with age
rather than with the growth of intelli-
gence; experience is a better school
than books. Second-The memory span
measures the power of concentrated and
prolonged attention. Third-Pupils I'M
remember digits that they
heard the day before when digits are
read them second time Fourth-The
tests do not show the effects of fatigue
when made after days work, showing
the work in the schools is not excessive.
Fifth-Memory again passes through
three stages in leaving the mind. Sixth
Ideas previously in the mind and as
ISOLATED forms of ideas are factors in
.ausing confusion of the memory image
md its final loss. Seven-There is an
apparent tendency to overestimatc the
number of ideas presented to the mind
when the number of ideas presented
s slightly greater than the memory
pan, but the general rule is to under
,stimate the number Eight-ldeas, ex-
,ept the last of a series, are more lasting
Il inverse order as a removal from the
beginning of the series in which they oc-
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