Alternative Test: Repeating Three Digits


PROCEDURE. Use the following digits: 6-4-1, 3-5-2, 8-3-7. Begin with two

digits, as follows: "_Listen; say 4-2_." "_Now, say 6-4-1_." "_Now, say

3-5-2_," etc. Pronounce the digits in a distinct voice and with

perfectly uniform emphasis at a rate just a little faster than one per

second. Two per second, as recommended by Binet, is too rapid.



Young subjects, because of their natural timidity in the presence of

/> strangers, sometimes refuse to respond to this test. With subjects under

5 or 6 years of age it is sometimes necessary in such cases to re-read

the first series of digits several times in order to secure a response.

The response thus secured, however, is not counted in scoring, the

purpose of the re-reading being merely to break the child's silence. The

second and third series may be read but once. With the digits tests

above year IV the re-reading of a series is never permissible.



SCORING. Passed if the child repeats correctly, _after a single reading,

one series out of the three_ series given. Not only must the correct

digits be given, but the order also must be correct.



REMARKS. Others, on the basis of rather scanty data, have usually

located this test at the 4-year level. Our results show that with the

procedure described above it is fully as easy as the test of repeating

sentences of 6 to 7 syllables.



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