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 power, tenure, and manner of
accession. Only these differences are considered correct, and the
successful response must include at least two of the three. We disregard
essential idea. As regards power, for example, any of the following
responses are satisfactory: "The king is absolute and the president is
not." "The king rules by himself, but the president rules with the help
of the people." "Kings can have things their own way more than
presidents can," etc.
It may be objected that the reverse of this is sometimes true, that the
king of to-day often has less power than the average president.
Sometimes subjects mention this fact, and when they do we credit them
with this part of the test. As a matter of fact, however, this answer is
seldom given.
Sometimes the subject does not stop until he has given a half-dozen or
more differences, and in such cases the first three differences may be
trivial and some of the later ones essential. The question then arises
whether we should disregard the errors and pass the subject on his later
correct responses. The rule in such cases is to ask the subject to pick
out the "three main differences."
Sometimes accession and tenure are given in the form of a single
contrast, as: "The president is elected, but the king inherits his
throne and rules for life." This answer entitles the subject to credit
for both accession and tenure, the contrast as regards tenure being
plainly implied.
Unsatisfactory contrasts are of many kinds and are often amusing. Some
of the most common are the following:--
"A king wears a crown." "A king has jewels." "A king sits on a
throne." ("A king sets on a thorn" as one feeble-minded boy put
it!) "A king lives in a palace." "A king has courtiers." "A king
is very dignified." "A king dresses up more." "A president has
less pomp and ceremony." "A president is more ready to receive
the people." "A king sits on a chair all the time and a
president does not." "No differences; it's just names." "A
president does not give titles." "A king has a larger salary."
"A king has royal blood." "A king is in more danger." "They have
a different title." "A king is more cruel." "Kings have people
beheaded." "A king rules in a monarchy and a president in a
republic." "A king rules in a foreign country." "A president is
elected and a king fights for his office." "A president appoints
governors and a king does not." "A president lets the lawyers
make the laws." "Everybody works for a king."
It is surprising to see how often trivial differences like the above are
given. About thirty "average adults" out of a hundred, including
high-school students, give at least one unsatisfactory contrast.
The test has been criticized as depending too much on schooling. The
criticism is to a certain extent valid when the test is used with young
subjects, say of 10 or 12 years. It is not valid, however, if the use of
the test is confined to older subjects. With the latter, it is not a
test of knowledge, but of the discriminative capacity to deal with
knowledge already in the possession of the subject. It would be
difficult to find an adult, not actually feeble-minded, who is ignorant
of the facts called for: That the king inherits his throne, while the
president is elected; that the tenure of the king is for life, and that
of the president for a term of years; that kings ordinarily have, or are
supposed to have, more power. Even the relatively stupid adult knows
this; but he also knows that kings are different from presidents in
having crowns, thrones, palaces, robes, courtiers, larger pay, etc., and
he makes no discrimination as regards the relative importance of these
differences.
The test is psychologically related to that of giving differences in
year VII and to the two tests of finding similarities; but it differs
from these in requiring a comparison based on fundamental rather than
accidental distinctions. The idea is good and should be worked out in
additional tests of the same type.
The test first appeared in the Binet revised scale of 1911. Kuhlmann
omits it, and besides our own there are few statistics bearing on it.
Our results show that if two essential differences are required, the
test belongs where we have placed it, but that if only one essential
difference is required, the test is easy enough for year XII.
More
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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... Intelligence Tests As A Basis For Grading
Not only in the case of retarded or exceptionally bright children, but with many others also, intelligence tests can aid in correctly placing the child in school. The pupil who enters one school system from another is a case in point. Such a pupi... Intelligence Tests For Vocational Fitness
The time is probably not far distant when intelligence tests will become a recognized and widely used instrument for determining vocational fitness. Of course, it is not claimed that tests are available which will tell us unerringly exactly what on... Intelligence Tests Of Delinquents
One of the most important facts brought to light by the use of intelligence tests is the frequent association of delinquency and mental deficiency. Although it has long been recognized that the proportion of feeble-mindedness among offenders is ra... Intelligence Tests Of Retarded School Children
Numerous studies of the age-grade progress of school children have afforded convincing evidence of the magnitude and seriousness of the retardation problem. Statistics collected in hundreds of cities in the United States show that between a third ... Intelligence Tests Of Superior Children
The number of children with very superior ability is approximately as great as the number of feeble-minded. The future welfare of the country hinges, in no small degree, upon the right education of these superior children. Whether civilization mov... Intelligence Tests Of The Feeble-minded
Thus far intelligence tests have found their chief application in the identification and grading of the feeble-minded. Their value for this purpose is twofold. In the first place, it is necessary to ascertain the degree of defect before it is possi... Interpretation Of Fables (score 4)
The following fables are used:-- (a) _Hercules and the Wagoner_ _A man was driving along a country road, when the wheels suddenly sank in a deep rut. The man did nothing but look at the wagon and call loudly to Hercules to come and ... Interpretation Of Pictures
PROCEDURE. Use the same pictures as in III, 1, and VII, 2, and the additional picture _d_. Present in the same order. The formula to begin with is identical with that in VII, 2: "_Tell me what this picture is about. What is this a picture of?_" This... Is The I Q Often Misleading?
Do the cases described in this chapter give a reliable picture as to what one may expect of the various I Q levels? Does the I Q furnish anything like a reliable index of an individual's general educational possibilities and of his social worth? ... Keeping The Child Encouraged
Nothing contributes more to a satisfactory _rapport_ than praise of the child's efforts. Under no circumstances should the examiner permit himself to show displeasure at a response, however absurd it may be. In general, the poorer the response, the... List Of Tests
The following is the list of tests as arranged by Binet in 1911, shortly before his untimely death:-- _Age 3:_ 1. Points to nose, eyes, and mouth. 2. Repeats two digits. 3. Enumerates objects in a picture. 4. Gives family name. ... Making Change
PROCEDURE. Ask the following questions in the order here given:-- (a) "_If I were to buy 4 cents worth of candy and should give the storekeeper 10 cents, how much money would I get back?_" (b) "_If I bought 13 cents worth and gave the st... Material For Use In Testing
It is strongly recommended that in testing by the Stanford revision the regular Stanford record booklets be used. These are so arranged as to make testing accurate, rapid, and convenient. They contain square, diamond, round field, vocabulary list, ... Method Of Arriving At A Revision
The revision of the scale below the 14-year level was based almost entirely on the tests of the above-mentioned 1,000 unselected children. The guiding principle was to secure an arrangement of the tests and a standard of scoring which would cause ... Naming Colors
MATERIALS. Use saturated red, yellow, blue, and green papers, about 2 x 1 inch in size, pasted one half inch apart on white or gray cardboard. For sake of uniformity it is best to match the colors manufactured especially for this test. PROCEDURE.... Naming Familiar Objects
PROCEDURE. Use a key, a penny, a closed knife, a watch, and an ordinary lead pencil. The key should be the usual large-sized doorkey, not one of the Yale type. The penny should not be too new, for the freshly made, untarnished penny resembles very l... Naming Four Coins
PROCEDURE. Show a nickel, a penny, a quarter, and a dime, asking each time: "_What is that?_" If the child misunderstands and answers, "Money," or "A piece of money," we say: "_Yes, but what do you call that piece of money?_" Show the coins always i... Naming Sixty Words
PROCEDURE. Say: "_Now, I want to see how many different words you can name in three minutes. When I say ready, you must begin and name the words as fast as you can, and I will count them. Do you understand? Be sure to do your very best, and remember... Nature Of The Stanford Revision And Extension
Although the Binet scale quickly demonstrated its value as an instrument for the classification of mentally-retarded and otherwise exceptional children, it had, nevertheless, several imperfections which greatly limited its usefulness. There was a de... Necessity Of Securing Attention And Effort
The child's intelligence is to be judged by his success in the performance of certain tasks. These tasks may appear to the examiner to be very easy, indeed; but we must bear in mind that they are often anything but easy for the child. Real effort... Order Of Giving The Tests
The child's efforts in the tests are sometimes markedly influenced by the order in which they are given. If language tests or memory tests are given first, the child is likely to be embarrassed. More suitable to begin with are those which test kno...