Retention as a Function of Order of Succession
103
tions 6 sheets were prepared. The fronts and backs of these could be easily distinguished but not the sheets themselves. The thirty sheets were shuffled together and then laid aside until any memory as to the occurrence of the separate syllables in definite transformations could be considered as effaced. Then the front side, and 24 hours later, the reverse side of a given sheet were learned by heart. The times necessary for learning the separate series were noted, but they were not assembled and further elaborated until all 30 sheets had been completed. Following are the numbers.
The original series were learned in x seconds |
The corresponding derived series, in y seconds |
The latter, therefore, with a saving of z seconds |
x= | y= | z= |
1137 | 1081 | 56 |
1292 | 1045 | 247 |
1202 | 1237 | ―35 |
1272 | 1202 | 70 |
1436 | 1299 | 137 |
1340 | 1157 | 183 |
m 1280 | 1170 | 110 |
x= | y= | z= |
1415 | 1232 | 183 |
1201 | 1290 | ―89 |
1291 | 1156 | 135 |
1358 | 1153 | 205 |
1232 | 1254 | ―22 |
1168 | 1107 | 61 |
m 1278 | 1199 | 79 |
x= | y= | z= |
1205 | 1166 | 39 |
1339 | 1068 | 271 |
1179 | 1293 | ―114 |
1238 | 1196 | 42 |
1257 | 1231 | 26 |
1240 | 1122 | 118 |
m 1243 | 1179 | 64 |