Part 18 (1/2)

Sometimes, instead of attempting a definition (of _doll_, for example), the child begins to talk in a more or less irrelevant way, as ”I have a great big doll. Auntie gave it to me for Christmas,” etc. In such cases we repeat the question and say, ”_Yes, but tell me; what is a doll?_”

This is usually sufficient to bring the little chatter-box back to the task.

Unless it is absolutely necessary to give the child lavish encouragement, it is best to withhold approval or disapproval until the test has been finished. If the first response is a poor one and we p.r.o.nounce it ”fine” or ”very good,” we tempt the child to persist in his low-grade type of definition. By withholding comment until the last word has been defined, we give greater play to spontaneity and initiative.

SCORING. As a rule, children of 5 and 6 years define an object in terms of use, stating what it does, what it is for, what people do with it, etc. Definitions by description, by telling what substance it is made of, and by giving the cla.s.s to which it belongs are grouped together as ”definitions superior to use.” It is not before 8 years that two thirds of the children spontaneously give a large proportion of definitions in terms superior to use.

The test is pa.s.sed in year V if _four words out of the six_ are defined in terms of use (or better than use). The following are examples of satisfactory responses:--

_Chair_: ”To sit on.” ”You sit on it.” ”It is made of wood and has legs and back,” etc.

_Horse_: ”To drive.” ”To ride.” ”What people drive.” ”To pull the wagon.” ”It is big and has four legs,” etc.

_Fork_: ”To eat with.” ”To stick meat with.” ”It is hard and has three sharp things,” etc.

_Doll_: ”To play with.” ”What you dress and put to bed.” ”To rock,” etc.

_Pencil_: ”To write with.” ”To draw.” ”They write with it.” ”It is sharp and makes a black mark.”

_Table_: ”To eat on.” ”What you put the dinner on.” ”Where you write.” ”It is made of wood and has legs.”

Examples of failure are such responses as the following: ”A chair is a chair”; ”There is a chair”; or simply, ”There” (pointing to a chair). We record such responses without pressing for a further definition. About the only other type of failure is silence.

REMARKS. It is not the purpose of this test to find out whether the child knows the meaning of the words he is asked to define. Words have purposely been chosen which are perfectly familiar to all normal children of 5 years. But with young children there is a difference between knowing a word and giving a definition of it. Besides, we desire to find out how the child apperceives the word, or rather the object for which it stands; whether the thing is thought of in terms of use, appearance (shape, size, color, etc.), material composing it, or cla.s.s relations.h.i.+ps.

This test, because it throws such interesting light on the maturity of the child's apperceptive processes, is one of the most valuable of all.

It is possible to differentiate at least a half-dozen degrees of excellence in definitions, according to the intellectual maturity of the subject. A volume, indeed, could be written on the development of word definitions and the growth of meanings; but we will postpone further discussion until VIII, 5. Our concern at present is to know that children of 5 years should at least be able to define four of these six words in terms of use.

Binet placed the test in year VI, but our own figures and those of nearly all the other investigations indicate that it is better located in year V.

V, 5. THE GAME OF PATIENCE

MATERIAL. Prepare two rectangular cards, each 2 3 inches, and divide one of them into two triangles by cutting it along one of its diagonals.

PROCEDURE. Place the uncut card on the table with one of its longer sides to the child. By the side of this card, a little nearer the child and a few inches apart, lay the two halves of the divided rectangle with their hypothenuses turned from each other as follows:

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Then say to the child: ”_I want you to take these two pieces_ (touching the two triangles) _and put them together so they will look exactly like this_” (pointing to the uncut card). If the child hesitates, we repeat the instructions with a little urging. Say nothing about hurrying, as this is likely to cause confusion. Give three trials, of one minute each. If only one trial is given, success is too often a result of chance moves; but luck is not likely to bring two successes in three trials. If the first trial is a failure, move the cut halves back to their original position and say: ”_No; put them together so they will look like this_” (pointing to the uncut card). Make no other comment of approval or disapproval. Disregard in silence the inquiring looks of the child who tries to read his success or failure in your face.

If one of the pieces is turned over, the task becomes impossible, and it is then necessary to turn the piece back to its original position and begin over, not counting this trial. Have the under side of the pieces marked so as to avoid the risk of presenting one of them to the child wrong side up.

SCORING. There must be _two successes in three trials_. About the only difficulty in scoring is that of deciding what const.i.tutes a trial. We count it a trial when the child brings the pieces together and (after few or many changes) leaves them in some position. Whether he succeeds after many moves, or leaves the pieces with approval in some absurd position, or gives up and says he cannot do it, his effort counts as one trial. A single trial may involve a number of unsuccessful changes of position in the two cards, but these changes may not consume altogether more than one minute.

REMARKS. As aptly described by Binet, the operation has the following elements: ”(1) To keep in mind the end to be attained, that is to say, the figure to be formed. It is necessary to comprehend this end and not to lose sight of it. (2) To try different combinations under the influence of this directing idea, which guides the efforts of the child even though he be unconscious of the fact. (3) To judge the formed combination, compare it with the model, and decide whether it is the correct one.”

It may be cla.s.sed, therefore, as one of the many forms of the ”combination method.” Elements must be combined into some kind of whole under the guidance of a directing idea. In this respect it has something in common with the form-board test, the Ebbinghaus test, and the test with dissected sentences (XII, 4). Binet designates it a ”test of patience,” because success in it depends upon a certain willingness to persist in a line of action under the control of an idea.

Not all failures in this test are equally significant. A bright child of 5 years sometimes fails, but usually not without many trial combinations which he rejects one after another as unsatisfactory. A dull child of the same age often stops after he has brought the pieces into any sort of juxtaposition, however absurd, and may be quite satisfied with his foolish effort. His mind is not fruitful and he lacks the power of auto-criticism.