Evening star., 1934-06-13
AGE ROBS CHILD
Of E|DET|C IMAGE
Tests Show Faculty of "See-
ing" Mental Visions
III Dies Early.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The strange eidetic image faculty.
by which a thing once seen can be
effectively visualized outside the mind
itself as a part of the material world,
evidently disappears early.
Among the approximately 400 girl
students at Trinity College only one
appears to have retained the ability,
according to DR.. John E. Rauth, as
sistant professor of psychology at
Catholic University. Previously he
had demonstrated it by the most rigid
tests in approximately one-fourth of
all the boys at ST. Mary's Industrial
School in Baltimore
The test of the Trinity girls was of
special interest because the eidetic
faculty has persisted into adult life,
according to their own accounts, for
some distinguished figures in the past,
including Goethe and De Quincy. But
for the average individual 1t is extin-
guished some time before the college
age. The phenomenon of its disap-
pearance is found among the boys.
Within a few months the boy with the
greatest ability in this line will loose
it completely.
When the studies were first under
taken at Catholic University it was
thought that the widespread eidetic
faculty among children might be made
valuable factor in education. In
stead of remembering material the
eidetic child is able actually to see it
before him. But, says DR.. Rauth, the
tests have demonstrated that even for
the most accomplished eidetiker it Is
harder to call up these visions than TO
memorize, and the children almost
never use their ability unless they
are directed to do so. If the tests
are continued very long at time, 1t
is found, the children become very
tired and start to complain, and the
muscles of a boy trying to visualize
something are found to be tense.
Boys Likes and Dislikes
To Be Subject Of Survey.
When do a boys interests change
from marbles to base ball. from fairy
tales to pirate stories?
DR.. Rauth will attempt to answer
such questions with 100 youngsters
from to II at Summer camp on
the Potomac in Southern Maryland
this Summer.
knowledge of the order in which
growing boys interests change with
age, DR.. Rauth says, is matter
of considerable importance in the
psychology Of boyhood, but hitherto
about all the work done In this field
has been to ask questions. The boy
is asked what games he likes to play.
what books he likes to read, and so
forth.
Actually, Dr. Rauth says, boy Is
bound to be Influenced by conventions
in answering such questions and may
not tell the whole truth. There Is
set pattern for boy behavior. based
largely on the rather vague memory
of adults regarding their own boy
hood interests. A boy In answering a
questionnaire gives the names Of the
books and games which it is assumed
that boy of his age plays and reads.
The boys this Summer will be kept
under close observation. DR.. Rauth
will be assisted in the work by q staff
of Xaverian brothers from Baltimore
in charge of the camp at Leonard
town. with one man assigned to each
five boys In various age groups.
For some years DR.. Paul H. Furfey
Of the Catholic University faculty has
been at work on a "developmental
age" test. based on the assumption
that average boys at given age level
will have somewhat similar play in
terests which may be used as a stand
ard A 14-year r-old with the play and
reading interests of a l0-year-old
would be decidedly below normal In