Page:Memory (1913).djvu/84

 {|
 * | I
 * | II
 * | III
 * | IV
 * | No.
 * | After X hours
 * | So much of the series learned was retained that in relearning a saving of Q% of the time of original learning was made
 * | P.E.$m$
 * | The amount forgotten was thus equivalent to v% of the original in terms of time of learning
 * | X=
 * | Q=
 * | v=
 * | 1
 * | 0 || | .33
 * | 58.2
 * | 1 || |
 * | 41.8
 * | 2
 * | 1 || |.
 * | 44.2
 * | 1 || |
 * | 55.8
 * | 3
 * | 8 || | .8
 * | 35.8
 * | 1 || |
 * | 64.2
 * | 4
 * | 24 || |.
 * | 33.7
 * | 1 || | .2
 * | 66.3
 * | 5
 * | 48 || |.
 * | 27.8
 * | 1 || | .4
 * | 72.2
 * | 6
 * | 6×24 || |
 * | 25.4
 * | 1 || | .3
 * | 74.6
 * | 7
 * | 31×24 || |
 * | 21.1
 * | 0 || | .8
 * | 78.9
 * }
 * | 6
 * | 6×24 || |
 * | 25.4
 * | 1 || | .3
 * | 74.6
 * | 7
 * | 31×24 || |
 * | 21.1
 * | 0 || | .8
 * | 78.9
 * }
 * }

1. It will probably be claimed that the fact that forgetting would be very rapid at the beginning of the process and very slow at the end should have been foreseen. However, it would be just as reasonable to be surprised at this initial rapidity and later slowness as they come to light here under the definite conditions of our experiment for a certain individual, and for a series of 13 syllables. One hour after the end of the learning, the forgetting had already progressed so far that one half the amount of the original work had to be expended before the series could be reproduced again; after 8 hours the work to be made up amounted to two thirds of the first effort. Gradually, however, the process became slower so that even for rather long periods the additional loss could be ascertained only with difficulty. After 24 hours about one third was always remembered; after 6 days about one fourth, and after a whole month fully one fifth of the first work persisted in effect. The decrease of this after-effect in the latter intervals of time is evidently so slow that it is easy to predict that a complete vanishing of the effect of the first memorisation of these series would, if they had been left to themselves, have occurred only after an indefinitely long period of time.

2. Least satisfactory in the results is the difference between the third and fourth values, especially when taken in connection with the greater difference between the fourth and fifth numbers. In the period 9-24 hours the decrease of the after-effect would