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 mechanically the last word of

anything that is said to them. If there is no response, say: "_Are you a

little girl?_" (if a boy); or, "_Are you a little boy?_" (if a girl). If

th
answer to the last question is "no" (or a shake of the head), we

then say: "_Well, what are you? Are you a little boy or a little girl?_"

(or _vice versa_).



SCORING. The response is satisfactory if it indicates that the child has

really made the discrimination, but we must be cautious about accepting

any other response than the direct answer, "A little girl," or, "A

little boy." "Yes" and "no" in response to the second question must be

carefully checked up.



REMARKS. Binet and Goddard say that 3-year-olds cannot pass this test

and that 4-year-olds almost never fail. We can accept the last part of

this statement, but not the first part. Nearly all of our 3-year-old

subjects succeed with it.



The test probably has nothing to do with sex consciousness, as such.

Success in it would seem to depend on the ability to discriminate

between familiar class names which are in a certain degree related.



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