Abstract
Two experi men is were conducted for the purpose of studying the effects of the amount of practice (Exp. I) and of the length of rest on reminiscence (Exp. II). Subjects participating in the experiments were 135 students of junior high school of both sexes, 15 being assigned to each of 9 experimental groups (conditions). The task used was inverted alphabet printing, all 30 sec. per trial, 3 sec. intertrial rest.
Experiment I. -4 experimental groups (conditions) and 1 control group were used and Ss of 4 experimental groups received either 10, 20, 30, or 50 prerest trials and 10 min. of rest followed by 2 addtional trials, while Ss of control group received 52 trials without rest.
Experiment II. -Ss of 5 groups (conditions) received either 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20 min. of rest followed by 2 additional trials after 30 prerest trials. The main results obtained were as follows:
(a) The increase of reminiscence by practice is very rapid in earlier trials, attaining a significant level by the first 10 trials, and reaches to to asymptote at the 30th trials. Beyond this point, reminiscence decreases toward the 50th trial gradually.
(b) The process of increase or decrease of reminiscence accompanied by increase of rest interval, resembles one that accompanied by increase of trials, and by only 1 min. of rest, reminiscence attains the level of 50% of the maximum magnitude by 10 min. of rest. Reminiscence shows a slight decrease, as rest interval prolongs to 20 min.
Degree of learning, motivation, loss of set, or forgetting as the factors related to the megnitude of reminiscence, are discussed.
