The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-08
Frederick Haskin'sLe tter
WEATHER AND EFFICIENCY

W69ulu8tod, ~. u, NOV. - Heu
you lose your pep on q damp.
gloomy day, or wnen you find 1t
hard to concentrate on u difficult
problem right after lunch, don't get
nervous and think that you are on
the verge Of a breakdown. You are
merely a living example of tine
natural rhythms Ct efficiency.
Almost everyone has = preferred
time for brain work and tor exsr-
else. You heaf a man say, Il wait
until late st night to do my read
ing because it is quiet and l can
concentrate. My mind seems 10
work better then than at any other
time" Another person holds an
equally decided opinion that early
in the morning is the best time for
brain work. Opinions Of this sort
have been held for centuries.
But for the past few decades
science has been making tests OF
the actual abilities OF human be-
ings In varying circumstances. The
effects on efficiency, Of the weather.
the time of day, and the season OF
the year have been tested by nun
erous Investigators. The results
have shown that these factors 40
have an influence on efficiency, and
that certain rhythms prevail. II i
large group of people is tested
throughout one day almost all are
found to reach the peak Of mental
ability at about the same hour,
and ii the tests are repeated over
long period of time the tendency
of the efficiency curve to follow the
same course, each day is still more
apparent.
The interesting fact shown by
such tests is that comparatively
few people are at their best when
they think they are, College stu
dents asked by Prof. Arthur Gates
to tell a: what hour they could
study best showed decided prefer
ence for s to 3 o'clock. Compare
lively few chose ID or IL in the
morning, at which time, according
to scientific tests, the peak of men
tai efficiency is attained. And very
few, DR.. Gates says, appreciated the
efficiency of the afternoon hours
noticeably 3 O'Clock.
His conclusion is that zones sub
jective feelings with regard to the
time Of greatest efficiency are Eoi
| reliable indications Of real efic-
iency. The organism may be able
| to produce the greatest amount and
the best quality of work at time
when feelings Of fatigue and kin
dred factors Lead us to believe thai
our efficiency is low.
Brain Power Best After Noon.
According to DR.. Archibald
! Peaks, who made . study of this
subject, brain power rises to high
point at II. 1t drops considerably
around noon and then rises to q
maximum around p. M. after
| which there is gradual decrease
| until the close of the day.
Physical ability rises to similar
high point around IL and drcps
slightly from noon to ! p. m. ther
rises again to a maximum sometim.
/. betwee and o'clock.
! DR.. Peaks says that "in speed
land accuracy tests, accuracy Is
better in the morning and speed
greater in the afternoon, a result
| which seems to show that speed
! is often gained at the expense o.
i accuracy"
! This refutes to a degree the pop
ular idea that when a person ha.
been working while fatigue pull:
| down his efficiency Real fatigue
does Undoubtedly lessen efficiency
! but it is explained by some scien
fists that many people give in to'
easily to WEAKNESS. They ALLOW
themselves to sink into a semi
scious state in the afternoon sim
ply because they are firmly con
i WINGED tina their efficiency cannot b.
as great as in the morning. Sub
consciously perhaps they say II
themselves, Il always am tired il
the afternoon. 1t is natural for
person to slow down then" And be
cause they believe that condition
are pulling against them they Civ
in.