RECORDS OF MEETIXGS 4^1 



T. H. Ames, Coloe THErarY. 



H. L. Holling-worth, Why the Lower Senses are Un^sthetic. 



M. J. Van Wagenen, A Practice Experiment. 



Sum:^iary of Papers 



Mr. Taylor said in abstract : A series of experiments were made with 

 about 500 children in the four upper grades of a public school, as a result 

 of which interesting relations seemed to appear between memory-span, 

 attention, school-grade and age. 



Groups of numbers, varying from three to twelve digits, were dictated 

 to the children, who wrote from memory each number as soon as it was 

 dictated. While this was going on the class-room was made as quiet as 

 possible and free from disturbing elements. Two series of numbers, ten 

 numbers to the series, were given under these conditions. Not more than 

 two or three children, it was found, could remember and write down a 

 number of twelve digits after dictation, a few more remembered eleven, 

 more remembered ten, and so on. 



It was found, first, that the average numbers remembered by the differ- 

 •ent grades were larger as the grades advanced in age. It was also found 

 that of children of the same age in different grades, those in the lower 

 grades could not remember as large numbers as those in higher grades. 

 Also there was a close correspondence between the memory average of 

 the children and their averages given in the monthly reports. 



After a period of rest, two more series of numbers were dictated, similar 



to the first two: but this was done while the teacher read aloud from an 



interesting book, thus making a disturbing element. By comparing aver- 



-ages in the two sets of series one could gain an idea as to the attentive 



powers of the children. 



It was found that though there was some relation between the school- 

 report and "attention" and the school-grade and "attention," that the 

 most marked relation seemed to be between age and attention. For in- 

 stance, all of the sixteen-year children did as well with the disturbing 

 element or better than with the quiet. Only 42 per cent, of the fourteen- 

 year children and 32 per cent, of the twelve-year children did as well or 

 hotter with the disturbing element as they did without it. With the chil- 

 dren of eleven and under all made poorer averages with the disturbing 

 -element than without it. 



Dr. Ames said in abstract : Eeferences brought together, ranging from 

 the most ancient superstitions and folklore to modern material from psy- 

 <3holoo^ical laboratories, srive evidence that color was used to conciliate or 



