Mentally Defective Children Part 16

5. "What is this colour?"--"And this?"--"And this?"--"And this?"

The examiner shows the child successively the four colours--red, yellow, blue, and green.

_Eight Years._

1. "You know a b.u.t.terfly?"--"And you know a fly?"--"Are they like one another?"--"Well, in what way are they not alike?"

The same questions are asked about wood and gla.s.s, and paper and cardboard. Two comparisons at least must be given correctly.

2. "You can count, can't you?"--"Well, will you count for me backwards from twenty to nothing? Begin 20, 19...."

One error is allowed, but the task must be finished in twenty seconds.

3. "What is missing in this picture?" The child must not be allowed to see the figure in the diagram until he has answered the questions regarding the heads. Otherwise, when shown a head, he may say, being influenced by suggestion, "It has no body." See Fig. 5.

The same question is put for each of the four pictures.

4. "Can you tell me what day it is?"--"And will you tell me the date also?"

The year must be given; three or four days' lat.i.tude is allowed in the day of the month.

5. "I am going to say five numbers. Listen and repeat them after me.

5, 8, 2, 9, 1."--"Again, 3, 7, 5, 2, 0."--"Again, 1, 3, 7, 2, 9."

One success suffices.

_Nine Years._

1. "Would you like to play shop? You be shopkeeper. I will buy from you this box. It costs twopence." Here the examiner hands the child a s.h.i.+lling. "Now, will you give me change out of this money here?"

In order to give the change the child is provided with one of each of our current coins--sovereign, half-sovereign, crown, half-crown, florin, s.h.i.+lling, sixpence, threepence, penny, halfpenny--and in addition five halfpence and six pennies.

_Note._--Binet gives the child a franc for an article valued at 20 sous, and the child has to select his change from the following coins: 8 coins of the value 0 fr. 05, 4 of the value 0 fr. 10, and 1 of each of the others--viz., 0 fr. 25, 0 fr. 50, 1 fr., 2 fr., 5 fr., 10 fr., 20 fr.

2. "What is a fork?"--"What is a table?"--"A chair?"--"A horse?"--"A mamma?"

For a pa.s.s three at least of the definitions must be given in a form superior to the "use" type.

3. "What is the name of this coin?"--"And of this?"--"And of this?"

The examiner in this way goes through in irregular order all our current pieces of money. Coins like one another should not be shown in immediate succession.

4. "Will you tell me the names of the months in order?"

One omission or one inversion is allowed to pa.s.s.

5. "What would you do if you missed a train?"--"What would you do if one of your playmates should hit you without meaning to do so?"--"What would you do if you broke something belonging to someone else?"

For a pa.s.s two at least of these questions must be answered sensibly.

_Ten Years._

1. "You see these little boxes. They are not all the same weight. Some are heavy and some are light. Place the heaviest one here, and at its side the one which is a little less heavy, then the one still a little less, and finally the lightest of all."

The boxes in question weigh respectively 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 grammes, and all look the same. They are placed in a pile before the child, and as the examiner gives the directions he indicates with his finger the place he appoints for each box. Three trials should be given, the boxes being mixed after each trial. In order to pa.s.s the child must be correct at least twice. The time should not exceed three minutes. The material for the test can be easily made from match-boxes.

2. "Now I am going to show you two drawings. You may look at them for ten seconds, which is a very short time. Then I will ask you to draw them from memory."

For the drawings see Fig. 6. The child is counted correct if he reproduces the whole of one drawing and half the other.

3. "I am going to read you some sentences, each of which contains something foolish. Listen attentively and tell me each time what is foolish."

The examiner reads the sentences impressively, but without any special emphasis on the part the child should comment on. Each time when he finishes he changes his tone, and demands, "What is foolish in that?"

_Sentences._--(1) An unfortunate bicycle rider fell on his head and was killed instantly; he was taken to a hospital, and they fear he will not recover.

(2) I have three brothers, Paul, Ernest, and myself.

(3) The body of an unfortunate young girl, cut into eighteen pieces, was found yesterday on the fortifications. It is thought that she killed herself.

(4) There was a railway accident yesterday, but it was not a bad one; the number of dead is only forty-eight.

(5) Someone said If I should ever grow desperate and kill myself, I will not choose Friday, because Friday is an unlucky day, and will bring me unhappiness.

Three satisfactory answers are required.

4. "What would you do if you were delayed in going to school?"--"What would you do before taking part in an important affair?"--"Why is a bad action done when one is angry more excusable than the same action done when one is not angry?"--"What would you do if you were asked your opinion of someone whom you did not know well?"--"Why should one judge a person by his acts rather than by his words?"

Three sensible answers must be given.

5. "I am going to read you three words, and I want you to make a sentence and use in it the three words. The words are Paris, fortune, stream."

The expression "make a sentence" must not be further explained, but the instructions may be repeated. The child is given a pencil and paper, and, if necessary, should be urged to write something. For a pa.s.s the sentence should be well co-ordinated. At this stage it may contain two distinct ideas, but not three; at the higher level it must contain only one idea (see XII. 2). One minute is the time allowed for writing.

_Twelve Years._

1. "Which is the longer of these two lines?"--"And of those?"--"And of those?"--"And of those?"--"And of those?"--"And of those?"

This test is aimed at the suggestibility of the child. For the material see Figs. 8-13. The first three pairs of lines differ in length, the longer being at the right hand; the last three pairs are equal. It is sufficient if the child correctly judges two of the last three pairs to be equal.

2. "I am going to read you three words. I want you to make a sentence and use in it the three words. The words are Paris, fortune, stream."

For directions see XI. 5.