114 



THE ACQUISITION OF SKILL IN ARCHERY. 



20 



offered in the first experiment. Tlie problem of imitation is considered on 

 page 118. Rivalry between the various members of the groups was encouraged 

 and the daily averages were posted on a bulletin board in the shooting-shed. 



COMPARABILITY OF THE GROUPS STUDIED. 



The subjects for the 5-, 20-, and 40-shot groups were boys and men ranging 

 in age from 14 to 36 years. Those of about the same age were assigned to 

 different groups, with the result that the average age of all the groups is ap- 

 proximately the same. Furthermore, from the data presented in figure 15, 

 it seems clear that thei'e is no correlation between the age of the individual 

 and the rate of unprovement of the function, and hence the .slight difference 

 in the average ages of the groups (a maximum of 3 years) may be safely 

 disregarded. 



The records of a woman are included 

 in the averages of the 5-shot group. 

 Analysis of the individual records shows 

 that the averages of the group were not 

 seriously influenced by the inclusion of 

 this scries of records. 



With respect to previous training, 

 none of the subjects had ever shot with 

 the bow, beyond the sporadic practice 

 with umbrella ribs and unfeathered 

 arrows which comes within every 

 boy's experience. In training in other 

 functions there was a good liit of varia- 

 tion, but none of the subjects was par- 

 ticularly well trained in athletic sports 

 or in difficult habits of manipulation, 

 and, in general, the groups average out 

 fairly well, with the exception of that 

 whose members loosed 60 shots per 

 day. 



The study of the 60-shot group was 

 undertaken after the others had finished 



shooting and after their average improvement had been computed. As it 

 seemed that there was some advantage in favor of the 5-shot group, the 

 attempt was made to test the effect of a still greater concentration of jiractice, 

 continued until quite appreciable fatigue was produced. For this purpose 

 the 60-shot group was organized, but since in the early part of practice this 

 number is excessive, it was necessary to pick subjects who were physically able 

 to meet the exactions of the experiment. As a result, the group was made up 

 of yovmg men ranging in age from 19 to 23 years, in better physical condition 

 than the members of the other groups. The range of variation in age is less 

 in this group than in the others, which fact probably gives an advantage to the 

 group at the start. Furthermore, the superiority in physical strength of the 

 members of this group gives an advantage quite aside from the question of 

 fatigue, in that the bow may be drawn with gre.iLer ease and steadiness by an 

 individual whose strength is not greatly taxed by its weight. Sixty shots rep- 



FiG. 15. — Relation of age to rate of improve- 

 ment. Solid line represents ages of sub- 

 jects in years arranged in order from left 

 to right. Dotted line gives in inches the 

 absolute amount of improvement for the 

 subject in the corresponding position on 

 the solid line. Averages are computed 

 from first and last 40 shots. 



