Studies in development and learning : contributions from the Department of Psychology and Child Study in the Fitchburg Normal School / made by the advanced class of 1907, and edited by Edwin A. Kirkptrick.

Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Studies in development and learning : contributions from the Department of Psychology and Child Study in the Fitchburg Normal School / made by the advanced class of 1907, and edited by Edwin A. Kirkptrick. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The progress in rapidity according to this test may be divided for each sex into three periods, the time of greatest growth, the time of next greatest, and the time of least. With the girls the first period extended from five to nine, the second from nine to eleven, the third from eleven to fourteen. With the boys the first period extended from five to nine, the second from nine to twelve, and the third from twelve to fourteen. The complete arrest of growth with the girls came from twelve to thirteen, a year younger than with the boys. The average of the 335 boys of all ages was 86 seconds, while of the 246 girls was 78 seconds, shewing that girls were better in this test than boys. The only ages in which the boys did not require more time than the girls were those of thirteen and fourteen. The results of the second test correspond in a general way with those obtained in the first. The ages of the boys ranged from six to thirteen, and of the girls from six to fourteen, though the number taking the test at fourteen was only two. The most important thing to be noted is the fact that the girls failed to improve from eleven to thirteen and especially from twelve to thirteen. With the boys this failure in improvement began at the age of twelve, but the data do not cover the fourteenth year, so that this can not be traced any further. An interesting thing in comparing the averages of the first two tests for the corresponding years is the fact that with the practice gained in the first test came added ability which carried over the interval of a year so that children taking the test the second time were superior to those of the same age taking it the first time. The total average for the 194 girls taking this second test was 66 seconds; for the 223 boys, 70 seconds. The third test which included children of the ages seven to thir- teen showed a curve something like those of the first and second tests. In the ease of the girls the arrest came at the formerly found period—from eleven on. With the boys there is a loss from the age of twelve to thirteen. The average time required by the 129 girls was 58 seconds, by the boys 61 seconds. There was a slight gain in the ability of the children of different years in the third test over the ability of those in the corresponding years in the second test, though the difference was not as great as was that between the first and second tests. The curves for the fourth and fifth tests are given, though the number of pupils in comparison with those in the first are so few that the results are less reliable.