Comprehension Fourth Degree
The questions for this year are:--
(a) "_What ought you to say when some one asks your opinion
about a person you don't know very well?_"
(b) "_What ought you to do before undertaking (beginning)
something very important?_"
(c) "_Why should we judge a person more by his actions than by
his words?_"
The PROCEDURE is the same as for the previous comprehensi
question may be repeated, but its form must not be changed. It is not
permissible to make any explanation whatever as to the meaning of the
question, except to substitute _beginning_ for _undertaking_ when (b)
seems not to be comprehended.
SCORING. _Two out of the three_ questions must be answered
satisfactorily. Study of the following classified responses should make
scoring fairly easy in most cases:--
(a) _When some one asks your opinion_
_Satisfactory._ "I would say I don't know him very well"
(42 per cent of the correct answers). "Tell him what I know and
no more" (34 per cent of correct answers). "I would say that I'd
rather not express any opinion about him" (20 per cent of the
correct answers). "Tell him to ask some one else." "I would not
express any opinion."
_Unsatisfactory._ Unsatisfactory responses are due either to
failure to grasp the import of the question, or to inability to
suggest the appropriate action demanded by the situation.
The latter form of failure is the more common; e.g.: "I'd say
they are nice." "Say you like them." "Say what I think." "Say
it's none of their business." "Tell them I mind my own
business." "Say I would get acquainted with them." "Say that I
don't talk about people." "Say I didn't know how he looked."
"Tell them you ought not to say such things; you might get into
trouble." "I wouldn't say anything." "I would try to answer."
"Say I did not know his name," etc.
The following are samples of failure due to mistaking the import
of the question: "I'd say, 'How do you do?'" "Say,'I'm glad to
meet you.'"
(b) _Before undertaking something important_
_Satisfactory responses_ fall into the following classes:--
(1) Brief statement of preliminary consideration; as: "Think
about it." "Look it over." "Plan it all out." "Make your
plans." "Stop and think," etc.
(2) Special emphasis on preliminary preparation and correct
procedure; as: "Find out the best way to do it." "Find out
what it is." "Get everything ready." "Do every little thing
that would help you." "Get all the details you can." "Take
your time and figure it out," etc.
(3) Asking help; as: "Ask some one to help you who knows all
about it." "Pray, if you are a Christian." "Ask advice,"
etc.
(4) Preliminary testing of ability, self-analysis, etc.; as:
"Try something easier first." "Practice and make sure I
could do it." "Learn how to do it," etc.
(5) Consider the wisdom or propriety of doing it: "Think whether
it would be best to do it." "See whether it would be
possible."
About 65 per cent of the correct responses belong either to
group (1) or (2), about 20 per cent to group (3), and most of
the remainder to group (4).
_Unsatisfactory responses_ are of the following types:--
(1) Due to mistaking the import of the question; e.g.: "Ask for
it." "Ought to say please." "Ask whose it is." Replies of
this kind can be nearly all eliminated by repeating the
question, using _beginning_ instead of _undertaking_.
(2) Replies more or less absurd or irrelevant; as: "Promise to
do your best." "Wash your face and hands." "Get a lot of
insurance." "Dress up and take a walk." "Tell your name."
"Know whether it's correct." "Begin at the beginning." "Say
you will do it." "See if it's a fake." "Go to school a long
time." "Pass an examination." "Do what is right." "Add up
and see how much it will cost." "Say I would do it." "Just
start doing it." "Go away." "Consult a doctor." "See if you
have time," etc.
(c) _Why we should judge a person more by his actions than by his words_
_Satisfactory responses_ fall into the following classes:--
(1) Words and deeds both mentioned and contrasted in
reliability; as: "Actions speak louder than words" (this in
8 per cent of successes). "You can tell more by his actions
than by his words." "He might talk nice and do bad things."
"Sometimes people say things and don't do them." "It's not
what you say but what you do that counts." "Talk is cheap;
when he does a thing you can believe it." "People don't do
everything they say." "A man might steal but talk like a
nice man." Over 45 per cent of all correct responses belong
to group (1).
(2) Acts stressed without mention of words; as: "You can tell by
his actions whether he is good or not." "If he _acts_ nice
he _is_ nice." "Actions show for themselves." Group (2)
contains about 25 per cent of the correct responses.
(3) Emphasis on unreliability of words; as: "You can't tell by
his words, he might lie or boast." "Because you can't always
believe what people say." (Group (3) contains 15 per cent of
the correct responses.)
(4) Responses which state that a man's deeds are sometimes
better than his words; as: "He might talk ugly and still not
do bad things." "Some really kind-hearted people scold and
swear." "A man's words may be worse than his deeds," etc.
Group (4) contains over 10 per cent of the correct
responses.
_Unsatisfactory responses_ are usually due to inability to
comprehend the meaning of the question. If there is a complete
lack of comprehension the result is either silence or a totally
irrelevant response. If there is partial comprehension of the
question the response may be partially relevant, but fail to
make the expected distinction.
The following are sample failures: "You could tell by his words
that he was educated." "It shows he is polite if he acts nice."
"Sometimes people aren't polite." "Actions show who he might
be." "Acts may be foolish." "Words ain't right." "A man might be
dumb." "A fellow don't know what he says." "Some people can
talk, but don't have control of themselves." "You can tell by
his acts whether he goes with bad people." "If he doesn't act
right you know he won't talk right." "Actions show if he has
manners." "Might get embarrassed and not talk good." "He may not
know how to express his thoughts." "He might be a rich man but a
poor talker." "He might say the wrong thing and afterwards be
sorry for it," etc. (The last four are nearer correct than the
others, but they fall just short of expressing the essential
contrast.)
REMARKS. For discussion of the comprehension questions as a test of
intelligence, see page 158.
Binet used eight questions, three "easy" and five "difficult," and
required that five out of eight be answered correctly in year X. The
eight were as follows:--
(1) What to do when you have missed your train.
(2) When you have been struck by a playmate, etc.
(3) When you have broken something, etc.
(4) When about to be late for school.
(5) When about to undertake something important.
(6) Why excuse a bad act committed in anger more readily than a bad
act committed without anger.
(7) What to do if some one asks your opinion, etc.
(8) Why can you judge a person better by his actions, etc.
As we have shown, questions 1, 2, 3, and 4 are much too easy for year X.
Question 6 is hard enough for year XII. We have omitted it because it
was not needed and is not entirely satisfactory.
More
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Adhering To Formula
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PROCEDURE is exactly as in VI, 5 (naming four coins). The dollar should be shown before the half-dollar. SCORING. _All six coins must be correctly named._ If a response is changed the rule is to count the second answer and ignore the first. REM... Alternative Test 1: Naming The Days Of The Week
PROCEDURE. Say: "_You know the days of the week, do you not? Name the days of the week for me._" Sometimes the child begins by naming various annual holidays, as Christmas, Fourth of July, etc. Perhaps he has not comprehended the task; at any rate, ... Alternative Test 1: Naming The Months
PROCEDURE. Simply ask the subject to "_name all the months of the year_." Do not start him off by naming one month; give no look of approval or disapproval as the months are being named, and make no suggestions or comments of any kind. When the m... Alternative Test 1: Repeating Six Digits
The digit series used are 3-7-4-8-5-9; and 5-2-1-7-4-6. The PROCEDURE and SCORING are the same as in VII, 3, except that only two trials are given, one of which must be correct. The test is somewhat too easy for year 10 when three trials are given... Alternative Test 2: Counting The Value Of Stamps
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PROCEDURE. The digits used are: 2-8-3; 4-2-7; 5-9-6. The test should be given after, but not immediately after, the tests of repeating digits forwards. Say to the child: "_Listen carefully. I am going to read some numbers again, but this time I w... Alternative Test 2: Repeating Twenty To Twenty-two Syllables
The sentences for this year are:-- (a) "_The apple tree makes a cool, pleasant shade on the ground where the children are playing._" (b) "_It is nearly half-past one o'clock; the house is very quiet and the cat has gone to sleep._... Alternative Test 2: Writing From Dictation
PROCEDURE. Give the child pen, ink, and paper, place him in a comfortable position for writing, and say: "_I want you to write something for me as nicely as you can. Write these words: 'See the little boy.' Be sure to write it all: 'See the little b... Alternative Test 3: Construction Puzzle A (healy And Fernald)
MATERIAL. Use the form-board pictured on page 279. This may be purchased of C. H. Stoelting & Co., Chicago, Illinois. A home-made one will do as well if care is taken to get the dimensions exact. Quarter-inch wood should be used. The inside of the f... Alternative Test: Forenoon And Afternoon
PROCEDURE. If it is morning, ask: "_Is it morning or afternoon?_" If it is afternoon, put the question in the reverse form, "_Is it afternoon or morning?_" This precaution is necessary because of the tendency of some children to choose always the la... Alternative Test: Giving Age
PROCEDURE. The formula is simply, "_How old are you?_" The child of this age is, of course, not expected to know the date of his birthday, but merely how many years old he is. SCORING. About the only danger in scoring is in the failure to verify ... 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 jus... Alternative Test: Repeating Twelve To Thirteen Syllables
The three sentences are:-- (a) "_The boy's name is John. He is a very good boy._" (b) "_When the train passes you will hear the whistle blow._" (c) "_We are going to have a good time in the country._" PROCEDURE. Get the child's attention ... Alternative Tests
The tests designated as "alternative tests" are not intended for regular use. Inasmuch as they have been standardized and belong in the year group where they are placed, they may be used as substitute tests on certain occasions. Sometimes one of the... Alternative Tests: Repeating Seven Digits
This time, as in year X, only two series are given, one of which must be repeated without error. The two series are: 2-1-8-3-4-3-9 and 9-7-2-8-4-7-5. Note that in none of the tests of repeating digits is it permissible to warn the subject of the num... Are Intelligence Tests Superfluous?
Binet tells us that he often encountered the criticism that intelligence tests are superfluous, and that in going to so much trouble to devise his measuring scale he was forcing an open door. Those who made this criticism believed that the observa... Arithmetical Reasoning
PROCEDURE. The following problems, printed in clear type, are shown one at a time to the subject, who reads each problem aloud and (with the printed problem still before him) finds the answer without the use of pencil or paper. (a) _If a man's ... Arranging Five Weights
Use the five weights, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 grams. Be sure that the weights are identical in appearance. The weights may be made as described under V, 1, or they may be purchased of C. H. Stoelting & Co., Chicago, Illinois. If no weights are at hand o... Average Adult Alternative Test 1: Repeating Twenty-eight Syllables
The sentences for this test are:-- (a) _Walter likes very much to go on visits to his grandmother, because she always tells him many funny stories._ (b) _Yesterday I saw a pretty little dog in the street. It had curly brown hair, ... Average Adult Alternative Test 2: Comprehension Of Physical Relations
(a) _Problem regarding the path of a cannon ball_ PROCEDURE. Draw on a piece of paper a horizontal line six or eight inches long. Above it, an inch or two, draw a short horizontal line about an inch long and parallel to the first. Tell the subje... Average Intelligence (i Q 90 To 110)
It is often said that the schools are made for the average child, but that "the average child does not exist." He does exist, and in very large numbers. About 60 per cent of all school children test between 90 and 110 I Q, and about 40 per cent b... Binet's Conception Of General Intelligence
In devising tests of intelligence it is, of course, necessary to be guided by some assumption, or assumptions, regarding the nature of intelligence. To adopt any other course is to depend for success upon happy chance. However, it is impossible to... Binet's Experiment On How Teachers Test Intelligence
Finally, Binet had three teachers come to his laboratory to judge the intelligence of children whom they had never seen before. Each spent an afternoon in the laboratory and examined five pupils. In each case the teacher was left free to arrive at a... Binet's Questionnaire On Teachers' Methods Of Judging Intelligence
Aroused by the skepticism so often shown toward his test method, Binet decided to make a little study of the methods by which teachers are accustomed to arrive at a judgment as to a child's intelligence. Accordingly, through the cooeperation of the ... Border-line Cases (usually Between 70 And 80 I Q)
The border-line cases are those which fall near the boundary generally recognized as such and the higher group usually classed as normal but dull. They are the doubtful cases, the ones we are always trying (rarely with success) to restore to normal... Classification Of Intelligence Quotients
What do the above I Q's imply in such terms as feeble-mindedness, border-line intelligence, dullness, normality, superior intelligence genius, etc.? When we use these terms two facts must be borne in mind: (1) That the boundary lines between such ... Comparison Of Lines
PROCEDURE. Present the appropriate accompanying card with the lines in horizontal position. Point to the lines and say: "_See these lines. Look closely and tell me which one is longer. Put your finger on the longest one._" We use the superlative as ... Comparison Of Weights
MATERIALS. It is necessary to have two weights, identical in shape, size, and appearance, weighing respectively 3 and 15 grams.[50] If manufactured weights are not at hand, it is easy to make satisfactory substitutes by taking stiff cardboard pill-b... Comprehension First Degree
PROCEDURE. After getting the child's attention, say: "_What must you do when you are sleepy?_" If necessary the question may be repeated a number of times, using a persuasive and encouraging tone of voice. No other form of question may be substitute... Comprehension Fourth Degree
The questions for this year are:-- (a) "_What ought you to say when some one asks your opinion about a person you don't know very well?_" (b) "_What ought you to do before undertaking (beginning) something very important?_" (c)... Comprehension Second Degree
PROCEDURE. The questions used in this year are:-- (a) "_What's the thing to do if it is raining when you start to school?_" (b) "_What's the thing to do if you find that your house is on fire?_" (c) "_What's the thing to do if ... Comprehension Third Degree
The questions for this year are:-- (a) "_What's the thing for you to do when you have broken something which belongs to some one else?_" (b) "_What's the thing for you to do when you notice on your way to school that you are in da... Copying A Diamond
PROCEDURE. On a white cardboard draw in heavy black lines a diamond with the longer diagonal three inches and the shorter diagonal an inch and a half. The specially prepared record booklet contains the diamond as well as many other conveniences. ... Copying A Square
PROCEDURE. Place before the child a cardboard on which is drawn in heavy black lines a square about 11/4 inches on a side. Give the child a pencil and say: "_You see that_ (pointing to the square). _I want you to make one just like it. Make it right... Correlation Between I Q And The Teachers' Estimates Of The Children's Intelligence
By the Pearson formula the correlation found between the I Q's and the teachers' rankings on a scale of five was .48. This is about what others have found, and is both high enough and low enough to be significant. That it is moderately high in so fa... Counting Backwards From 20 To 1
PROCEDURE. Say to the child: "_You can count backwards, can you not? I want you to count backwards for me from 20 to 1. Go ahead._" In the great majority of cases this is sufficient; the child comprehends the task and begins. If he does not comprehe... Counting Four Pennies
PROCEDURE. Place four pennies in a horizontal row before the child. Say: "_See these pennies. Count them and tell me how many there are. Count them with your finger, this way_" (pointing to the first one on the child's left)--"_One_"--"_Now, go ahea... Counting Thirteen Pennies
PROCEDURE. The procedure is the same as in the test of counting four pennies (year IV, test 3). If the first response contains only a minor error, such as the omission of a number in counting, failure to tally with the finger, etc., a second trial i... Defining Abstract Words
PROCEDURE. The words to be defined are _pity_, _revenge_, _charity_, _envy_, and _justice_. The formula is, "_What is pity? What do we mean by pity?_" and so on with the other words. If the meaning of the response is not clear, ask the subject to ex... Dependence Of The Scale's Reliability On The Training Of The Examiner
On this point two radically different opinions have been urged. On the one hand, some have insisted that the results of a test made by other than a thoroughly trained psychologist are absolutely worthless. At the opposite extreme are a few who seem ... Description Of Pictures
PROCEDURE. Use the same pictures as in III, 3, presenting them always in the following order: Dutch Home, River Scene, Post-Office. The formula for the test in this year is somewhat different from that of year III. Say: "_What is this picture about?... Desirable Range Of Testing
There are two considerations here of equal importance. It is necessary to make the examination thorough, but in the pursuit of thoroughness we must be careful not to produce fatigue or ennui. Unless there is reason to suspect mental retardation, ... Detecting Absurdities
PROCEDURE. Say to the child: "_I am going to read a sentence which has something foolish in it, some nonsense. I want you to listen carefully and tell me what is foolish about it._" Then read the sentences, rather slowly and in a matter-of-fact voic... Differences Between Abstract Terms
PROCEDURE. Say: _What is the difference between_:-- (a) _Laziness and idleness?_ (b) _Evolution and revolution?_ (c) _Poverty and misery?_ (d) _Character and reputation?_ SCORING. _Three correct contrasting definitions out of four_ are... Discrimination Of Forms
PROCEDURE. Use the forms supplied with this book. First, place the circle of the duplicate set at "X", and say: "_Show me one like this_," at the same time passing the finger around the circumference of the circle. If the child does not respond, say... Dissected Sentences
The following disarranged sentences are used:-- FOR THE STARTED AN WE COUNTRY EARLY AT HOUR TO ASKED PAPER MY TEACHER CORRECT I MY A DEFENDS DOG GOOD HIS BRAVELY MASTER These should be printed in type like that used above. The S... Distinguishing Right And Left
PROCEDURE. Say to the child: "_Show me your right hand._" After this is responded to, say: "_Show me your left ear._" Then: "_Show me your right eye._" Stress the words _left_ and _ear_ rather strongly and equally; also _right_ and _eye_. If there i... Drawing Designs From Memory
PROCEDURE. Use the designs shown on the accompanying printed form. If copies are used they must be exact in size and shape. Before showing the card say: "_This card has two drawings on it. I am going to show them to you for ten seconds, then I will ... Dull Normals (i Q Usually 80 To 90)
In this group are included those children who would not, according to any of the commonly accepted social standards, be considered feeble-minded, but who are nevertheless far enough below the actual average of intelligence among races of western E... Duration Of The Examination
About the only danger of fatigue lies in making the examination too long. Young children show symptoms of weariness much more quickly than older children, and it is therefore fortunate that not so much time is needed for testing them. The followi... Effects Of The Revision On The Mental Ages Secured
The most important effect of the revision is to reduce the mental ages secured in the lower ranges of the scale, and to raise considerably the mental ages above 10 or 11 years. This difference also obtains, though to a somewhat smaller extent, betw... Enumeration Of Objects In Pictures
PROCEDURE. Use the three pictures designated as "Dutch Home," "River Scene," and "Post-Office." Say, "_Now I am going to show you a pretty picture._" Then, holding the first one before the child, close enough to permit distinct vision, say: "_Tell m... Essential Nature Of The Scale
The Binet scale is made up of an extended series of tests in the nature of "stunts," or problems, success in which demands the exercise of intelligence. As left by Binet, the scale consists of 54 tests, so graded in difficulty that the easiest li... Feeble-mindedness (rarely Above 75 I Q)
There are innumerable grades of mental deficiency ranging from somewhat below average intelligence to profound idiocy. In the literal sense every individual below the average is more or less mentally weak or feeble. Only a relatively small proport... Finding Mental Age
As there are six tests in each age group from III to X, each test in this part of the scale counts 2 months toward mental age. There are eight tests in group XII, which, because of the omission of the 11-year group, have a combined value of 24 mont... Finding Omissions In Pictures
PROCEDURE. Show the pictures to the child one at a time in the order in which they are lettered, _a_, _b_, _c_, _d_. When the first picture is shown (that with the eye lacking), say: "_There is something wrong with this face. It is not all there. Pa... Finding Rhymes
PROCEDURE. Say to the child: "_You know what a rhyme is, of course. A rhyme is a word that sounds like another word. Two words rhyme if they end in the same sound. Understand?_" Whether the child says he understands or not, we proceed to illustrate ... Frequency Of Different Degrees Of Intelligence
Before we can interpret the results of an examination it is necessary to know how frequently an I Q of the size found occurs among unselected children. Our tests of 1000 unselected children enable us to answer this question with some degree of def... General Value Of The Method
In a former chapter we have noted certain imperfections of the scale devised by Binet and Simon; namely, that many of the tests were not correctly located, that the choice of tests was in a few cases unsatisfactory, that the directions for giving... Genius And Near Genius
Intelligence tests have not been in use long enough to enable us to define genius definitely in terms of I Q. The following two cases are offered as among the highest test records of which the writer has personal knowledge. It is doubtful whether m... Getting Into Rapport
The examiner's first task is to win the confidence of the child and overcome his timidity. Unless _rapport_ has first been established, the results of the first tests given are likely to be misleading. The time and effort necessary for accomplishin... Giving Definitions In Terms Of Use
PROCEDURE. Use the words: _Chair_, _horse_, _fork_, _doll_, _pencil_, and _table_. Say: "_You have seen a chair. You know what a chair is. Tell me, what is a chair?_" And so on with the other words, always in the order in which they are named above.... Giving Definitions Superior To Use
PROCEDURE. The words for this year are _balloon_, _tiger_, _football_, and _soldier_. Ask simply: "_What is a balloon?_" etc. If it appears that any of the words are not familiar to the child, substitution may be made from the following: _automobi... Giving Differences Between A President And A King
PROCEDURE. Say: "_There are three main differences between a president and a king; what are they?_" If the subject stops after one difference is given, we urge him on, if possible, until three are given. SCORING. The three differences relate to po... Giving Differences From Memory
PROCEDURE. Say: "_What is the difference between a fly and a butterfly?_" If the child does not seem to understand, say: "_You know flies, do you not? You have seen flies? And you know the butterflies! Now, tell me the difference between a fly and a...