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 voice, saying after each: "_What is
foolish about that?_" The sentences used are the following:--
(a) "_A man said: 'I know a road from my house to the city which
back home.'_"
(b) "_An engineer said that the more cars he had on his train the
faster he could go._"
(c) "_Yesterday the police found the body of a girl cut into
eighteen pieces. They believe that she killed herself._"
(d) "_There was a railroad accident yesterday, but it was not very
serious. Only forty-eight people were killed._"
(e) "_A bicycle rider, being thrown from his bicycle in an
accident, struck his head against a stone and was instantly
killed. They picked him up and carried him to the hospital,
and they do not think he will get well again._"
Each should ordinarily be answered within thirty seconds. If the child
is silent, the sentence should be repeated; but no other questions or
suggestions of any kind are permissible. Such questions as "_Could the
road be downhill both ways?_" or, "_Do you think the girl could have
killed herself?_" would, of course, put the answer in the child's mouth.
It is even best to avoid laughing as the sentence is read.
Owing to the child's limited power of expression it is not always easy
to judge from the answer given whether the absurdity has really been
detected or not. In such cases ask him to explain himself, using some
such formula as: "_I am not sure I know what you mean. Explain what you
mean. Tell me what is foolish in the sentence I read._" This usually
brings a reply the correctness or incorrectness of which is more
apparent, while at the same time the formula is so general that it
affords no hint as to the correct answer. Additional questions must be
used with extreme caution.
SCORING. Passed if the absurdity is detected in _four out of the five_
statements. The following are samples of satisfactory and unsatisfactory
answers:--
(a) _The road downhill_
_Satisfactory._ "If it was downhill to the city it would be
uphill coming back." "It can't be downhill both directions."
"That could not be." "That is foolish. (Explain.) Because it
must be uphill one way or the other." "That would be a funny
road. (Explain.) No road can be like that. It can't be downhill
both ways."
_Unsatisfactory._ "Perhaps he took a little different road
coming back." "I guess it is a very crooked road." "Coming back
he goes around the hill." "The man lives down in a valley." "The
road was made that way so it would be easy." "Just a road. I
don't see anything foolish." "He should say, 'a road which
goes.'"
(b) _What the engineer said_
_Satisfactory._ "If he has more cars he will go slower." "It is
the other way. If he wants to go faster he mustn't have so many
cars." "The man didn't mean what he said, or else it was a slip
of the tongue." "That's the way it would be if he was going
downhill." "Foolish, because the cars don't help pull the
train." "He ought to say _slower_, not _faster_."
_Unsatisfactory._ "A long train is nicer." "The engine pulls
harder if the train has lots of cars." "That's all right. I
suppose he likes a big train." "Nothing foolish; when I went to
the city I saw a train that had lots of cars and it was going
awfully fast." "He should have said, 'the faster I can _run_.'"
(c) _The girl who was thought to have killed herself_
_Satisfactory._ "She could not have cut herself into eighteen
pieces." "She would have been dead before that." "She might have
cut two or three pieces off, but she couldn't do the rest."
(Laughing) "Well, she may have killed herself; but if she did
it's a sure thing that some one else came along after and
chopped her up." "That policeman must have been a fool.
(Explain.) To think that she could chop herself into eighteen
pieces."
_Unsatisfactory._ "_Think_ that she killed herself; they _know_
she did." "They can't be sure. Some one may have killed her."
"It was a foolish girl to kill herself." "How can they tell who
killed her?" "No girl would kill herself unless she was crazy."
"It ought to read: 'They think that she committed suicide.'"
(d) _The railroad accident_
_Satisfactory._ "That was very serious." "I should like to know
what you would call a serious accident!" "You could say it was
not serious if two or three people were killed, but
forty-eight,--that is serious."
_Unsatisfactory._ "It was a foolish mistake that made the
accident." "They couldn't help it. It was an accident." "It
might have been worse." "Nothing foolish; it's just sad."
(e) _The bicycle rider_
_Satisfactory._ "How could he get well after he was already
killed?" "Why, he's already dead." "No use to take a dead man to
the hospital." "They ought to have taken him to a grave-yard!"
_Unsatisfactory._ "Foolish to fall off of a bicycle. He should
have known how to ride." "They ought to have carried him home.
(Why?) So his folks could get a doctor." "He should have been
more careful." "Maybe they can cure him if he isn't hurt very
bad." "There's nothing foolish in that."
REMARKS. The detection of absurdities is one of the most ingenious and
serviceable tests of the entire scale. It is little influenced by
schooling, and it comes nearer than any other to being a test of
that species of mother-wit which we call common sense. Like the
"comprehension questions," it may be called a test of judgment, using
this term in the colloquial and not in the logical sense. The stupid
person, whether depicted in literature, proverb, or the ephemeral joke
column, is always (and justly, it would seem) characterized by a huge
tolerance for absurd contradictions and by a blunt sensitivity for the
fine points of a joke. Intellectual discrimination and judgment are
inferior. The ideas do not cross-light each other, but remain relatively
isolated. Hence, the most absurd contradictions are swallowed, so to
speak, without arousing the protest of the critical faculty. The latter,
indeed, is only a name for the tendency of intellectually irreconcilable
elements to clash. If there is no clash, if the elements remain apart,
it goes without saying that there will be no power of criticism.
The critical faculty begins its development in the early years and
strengthens _pari passu_ with the growing wealth of inter-associations
among ideas; but in the average child it is not until the age of about
10 years that it becomes equal to tasks like those presented in this
test. Eight-year intelligence hardly ever scores more than two or three
correct answers out of five. By 12, the critical ability has so far
developed that the test is nearly always passed. It is an invaluable
test for the higher grades of mental deficiency.
As a test of the critical powers Binet first used "trap questions"; as,
for example, "Is snow red or black?" The results were disappointing, for
it was found that owing to timidity, deference, and suggestibility
normal children often failed on such questions. Deference is more marked
in normal than in feeble-minded children, and it is because of the
influence of this trait that it is necessary always to forewarn the
subject that the sentence to be given contains nonsense.
Binet located the test in year XI of the 1908 scale, but changed it to
year X in 1911. Goddard and Kuhlmann retain it in year XI. The large
majority of the statistics, including those of Goddard and Kuhlmann,
warrant the location of the test in year X. Not all have used the same
absurdities, and these have not been worded uniformly. Most have
required three successes out of five, but Bobertag and Kuhlmann require
three out of four; Bobertag's procedure is also different in that he
does not forewarn the child that an absurdity is to follow.
The present form of the test is the result of three successive
refinements. It will be noted that we have made two substitutions in
Binet's list of absurdities. Those omitted from the original scale are:
"_I have three brothers--Paul, Ernest, and myself_," and, "_If I were
going to commit suicide I would not choose Friday, because Friday is an
unlucky day and would bring me misfortune._" The last has a puzzling
feature which makes it much too hard for year X, and the other is
objectionable with children who are accustomed to hear a foreign
language in which the form of expression used in the absurdity is
idiomatically correct.
The two we have substituted for these objectionable absurdities are,
"The road downhill" and "What the engineer said." The five we have
used, though of nearly equal difficulty, are here listed in the order
from easiest to hardest. Our series as a whole is slightly easier than
Binet's.
More
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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)
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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
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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... Giving Sex
PROCEDURE. If the subject is a boy, the formula is: "_Are you a little boy or a little girl?_" If a girl, "_Are you a little girl or a little boy?_" This variation in the formula is necessary because of the tendency in young children to repeat mecha... Giving Similarities Three Things
PROCEDURE. The procedure is the same as in VIII, 4, but with the following words:-- (a) _Snake_, _cow_, _sparrow_. (b) _Book_, _teacher_, _newspaper_. (c) _Wool_, _cotton_, _leather_. (d) _Knife-blade_, _penny_, _piece of wire_. (e) _... Giving Similarities; Two Things
PROCEDURE. Say to the child: "_I am going to name two things which are alike in some way, and I want you to tell me how they are alike. Wood and coal: in what way are they alike?_" Proceed in the same manner with:-- _An apple and a peach._ ... Giving The Date
PROCEDURE. Ask the following questions in order:-- (a) "_What day of the week is it to-day?_" (b) "_What month is it?_" (c) "_What day of the month is it?_" (d) "_What year is it?_" If the child misunderstands and gives the day of the ... Giving The Family Name
PROCEDURE. The child is asked, "_What is your name?_" If the answer, as often happens, includes only the first name (Walter, for example), say: "_Yes, but what is your other name? Walter what?_" If the child is silent, or if he only repeats the firs... Giving The Number Of Fingers
PROCEDURE. "_How many fingers have you on one hand?_" "_How many on the other hand?_" "_How many on both hands together?_" If the child begins to count in response to any of the questions, say: "_No, don't count. Tell me without counting._" Then rep... Guiding Principles In Choice And Arrangement Of Tests
In choosing his tests Binet was guided by the conception of intelligence which we have set forth above. Tests were devised which would presumably bring into play the various mental processes thought to be concerned in intelligence, and then these te... How The Scale Is Used
By means of the Binet tests we can judge the intelligence of a given individual by comparison with standards of intellectual performance for normal children of different ages. In order to make the comparison it is only necessary to begin the examin... How The Scale Was Derived
The tests were arranged in order of difficulty, as found by trying them upon some 200 normal children of different ages from 3 to 15 years. It was found, for illustration, that a certain test was passed by only a very small proportion of the younge... How To Find The I Q Of Adult Subjects
Native intelligence, in so far as it can be measured by tests now available, appears to improve but little after the age of 15 or 16 years. It follows that in calculating the I Q of an adult subject, it will be necessary to disregard the years he h... Induction Test: Finding A Rule
PROCEDURE. Provide six sheets of thin blank paper, say 81/2 x 11 inches. Take the first sheet, and telling the subject to watch what you do, fold it once, and in the middle of the folded edge tear out or cut out a small notch; then ask the subject t... Influence Of Social And Educational Advantages
The criticism has often been made that the responses to many of the tests are so much subject to the influence of school and home environment as seriously to invalidate the scale as a whole. Some of the tests most often named in this connection are... Influence Of The Subject's Attitude
One continually meets such queries as, "How do you know the subject did his best?" "Possibly the child was nervous or frightened," or, "Perhaps incorrect answers were purposely given." All such objections may be disposed of by saying that the comp...