Page:Memory (1913).djvu/90

gation, the lengths being 12, 24 and 36 syllables. A single test consisted of nine series of the first length, or three of the second, or two of the third. In addition to this I carried out several tests with six stanzas of Byron’s “Don Juan.”

The plan of the experiment was, then, as follows: The required number of series was first learned and then, at the same hour on successive days, it was relearned to the point of first possible reproduction. In the case of the series of syllables, the number of days was six; in the case of Byron’s stanzas, it was only four. Thus, on the fifth day, the stanzas were correctly repeated without any preliminary reproduction and the problem, accordingly, no longer existed. For each kind of series, seven trials were employed. The total number of separate tests was, in consequence, 154, a number of which required only a few minutes for their execution.

The entries of the following tables indicate the repetitions which were necessary in order to bring the series concerned to the first possible reproduction (including this); the Roman figures designate the successive days.

1. Nine series of 12 syllables each.

I		II	III		IV	V		VI
158		102	71		50	38		30
151		107	74		42	34		30
175		105	84		60	36		33
149		102	72		54	35		28
163		124	69		61	35		31
173		117	86		64	42		37
138		106	71		59	37		30
m158		109	75		56	37		31
P.E.m3	.4	2	1	.7	2	0	.7	0	.7

2. Three series of 24 syllables each.

I		II		III		IV	V		VI
122		73		45		29	21		16
127		73		40		25	18		12
154		78		47		27	18		12
139		61		33		17	12		10
133		73		36		26	18		14
142		66		42		26	17		14
124		70		36		24	16		14
m134		71		40		25	17		14
P.E.m2	.9	1	.4	1	.3	1	0	.7	0	.5