Interest in the results of the action was most
pronounced of all, culminating at twelve in girls and fifteen in boys.
Details and time excited far less interest, the former jointly
culminating for both sexes at eleven. Interest in the truth of the
narrative was extremely slight, although it became manifest at
fifteen, and was growing at sixteen. The number of inferences drawn
steadily increased with age, although the increase was very slight
after thirteen. Both legitimate and critical inferences increased
after eleven, while imaginative inferences at that age had nearly
reached their maximum. Interest in names was very strong throughout,
as in primitive people. Boys were more curious concerning "who,"
"where," and "how"; girls as to "why." In general, the historic
curiosity of boys was greater than that of girls, and culminated
later. The inferences drawn from an imagined finding of a log-house,
boat, and arrows on a lonely island indicate that the power of
inference, both legitimate and imaginative, develops strongly at
twelve and thirteen, after which doubt and the critical faculties are
apparent; which coincides with Mr. M.A. Tucker's conclusion, that
doubt develops at thirteen and that personal inference diminishes
about that age.
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