Part 27 (1/2)

IX, 1 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 ives the day of the month for the day of the week, or _vice versa_, we ive no other help

SCORING An error of three days in either direction is allowed for _c_, but _a_, _b_, and _d_ iven correctly If the child e is allowed, but corrections inally located this test in year IX, but unfortunately moved it to year VIII in the 1911 revision Kuhlmann, Goddard, and Huey all retain it in year IX, where, according to our own data, it unquestionably belongs With the exception of Binet's 1911 results, the statistics for the test are in reland, and Eastern and Western United States It seems that practically all children in civilized countries have ample opportunity to learn the divisions of the year, month, and week, and to become oriented with respect to these divisions Special instruction is doubtless capable of hastening tireatly Binet tells of a French _ecole e, where instruction was given daily in regard to the date, and yet not a single one of the children was able to pass this test This is a beautiful illustration of the futility of precocious teaching In spite of well-e of 8 or 9 years that children have enough comprehension of time periods, and sufficient interest in them, to keep very close track of the date Failure to pass the test at the age of 10 or 11 years is a decidedly unfavorable sign, unless the error is very slight

The fact that norive the day of the ainst the validity of the test, since the system of tests is so constructed as to allow for accidental failures on any particular test As a matter of fact, very nearly 100 per cent of normal 12-year-old children pass this test

The unavoidable fault of the test is its lack of uniformity in difficulty at different dates It is easier for school children to give the day of the week on Monday or Friday than on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Mistakes in giving the day of theor end of thetheto coard to difficulty Binet and Bobertag both state that ability to naures Our own data show that the four parts of the test are of almost exactly the saes

IX, 2 ARRANGING FIVE WEIGHTS

Use the five weights, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 grahts are identical in appearance The weights may be made as described under V, 1, or they o, Illinois If no weights are at hand one of the alternative tests may be substituted

PROCEDURE Place the five boxes on the table in an irregular group before the child and say: ”_See the boxes They all look alike, don't they? But they are not alike Some of them are heavy, sohter No teigh the same Noant you to find the heaviest one and place it here Then find the one that is just a little lighter and put it here Then put the next lighter one here, and the next lighter one here, and the lightest of all at this end_ (pointing each time at the appropriate spot) _Do you understand?_”

Whatever the child answers, in order to make sure that he does understand, we repeat the instructions thus: ”_Rehts are the same Find the heaviest one and put it here, the next heaviest here, and lighter, lighter, until you have the very lightest here Ready; go ahead_”

It is best to follow very closely the for the directions so abstractly that the subject could not coe the blocks in a gradually decreasing series according to weight_” would be Greek to most children of 10 years

If the subject still seeain repeated But no further help of any kind iven Do not tell the subject to take the blocks one at a time in the hand and try the the blocks yourself It is a part of the test to let the subject find his ownthe boxes after each Do not repeat the instructions before the second and third trials unless the subject has used an absurd procedure in the previous trial

SCORING The test is passed if the blocks are arranged in the correct order _twice out of three trials_ Always record the order of arrangement and note the nuement like 12-6-15-3-9 is very much more serious than one like 15-12-6-9-3, but we require that two trials be absolutely without error

Scoring is facilitated if the blocks are marked on the bottom so that they may be easily identified It is then necessary to exercise some care to see that the subject does not examine the bottom of the blocks for a clue as to the correct order

REMARKS Binet originally located this test in year IX, but in his 1911 revision changed it to year VIII Other revisions have retained it in year IX The correct location depends upon the weights used and upon the procedure and scoring Kuhlra tried two sets of boxes, one set being of larger diave decidedly the more errors If we require only one success in three trials the test could be located a year or ter in the scale, while three successes as a standard would require that it be moved upward possibly as much as two years

Much depends also on whether the child is left to find his own method, and on this there has been , and Wallin illustrate the correctthe weights while the subject looks on We prefer to keep the test in its original for we have used it is well located in year IX

Wallin carries his assistance still further by saying, after the first block has been placed, ”Now, find the heaviest of the four,” and after the second has been placed, ”Now, find the heaviest of the three,” etc

Finally, when the arrangeain tothe subject to es he thinks necessary This procedure robs the test of its most valuable features The experiment was not devised pri been recognized that individuals who have developed as far as the 9- or 10-year level of intelligence are ordinarily but little below norically, the test resehts in V, 1

Success depends, in the first place, upon the correct cooal to be attained; secondly, upon the choice of a suitable oal; and finally, upon the ability to keep the end clearly in consciousness until all the steps necessary for its attainh Elementary as are the processes involved, they represent the prototype of all purposeful behavior The statesman, the lawyer, the teacher, the physician, the carpenter, all in their oay and with their owntheideas