Mental fatigue of Mexican school children

Abstract

The same experimental materials and method were used as in Garth's previous studies of racial work curves. The Thorndike Addition Sheets were used, with 14 sheets for the younger and 21 sheets for the older group. These groups were composed of 3rd-4th and 7th-8th grade students respectively. In both "attempts" and accurately performed additions the younger group hold their own with slight fluctuation for 24 minutes, after which there is a rapid decrease in both measures. For the older group the work curve is almost on a level for 42 minutes. Upon comparison of the Mexican results with the performance of whites we find that in the case of the younger Mexicans the difference tends to be greater for "attempts" than for "accurates." The amount of overlapping found when we compare older groups of Mexicans and whites is so great that we cannot be certain of a difference. Selection, and training, and nutrition are suggested as possible explanations of the tendency toward greater similarity to the whites in the older Mexican group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)