Give the sentences in the order in which they are listed in the record booklet. Do not tell the subject to see how quickly he can do it, because with this test any suggestion of hurrying is likely to produce a kind of mental paralysis. If the subject has no success with the first sentence in one minute, read it off correctly for him, somewhat slowly, and pointing to each word as it is spoken. Then proceed to the second and third, allowing one minute for each.
Give no further help. It is not permissible, in case an incorrect response is given, to ask the subject to try again, or to say: "_Are you sure that is right?_" "_Are you sure you have not left out any words?_"
etc. Instead, maintain absolute silence. However, the subject is permitted to make as many changes in his response as he sees fit, provided he makes them spontaneously and within the allotted time.
Record the entire response.
Once in a great while the subject misunderstands the task and thinks the only requirement is to use all the words given, and that it is permitted to add as many other words as he likes. It is then necessary to repeat the instructions and to allow a new trial.
SCORING. _Two sentences out of three must be correctly given within the minute allotted to each._ It is understood, of course, that if the first sentence has to be read for the subject, both the other responses must be given correctly.
A sentence is not counted correct if a single word is omitted, altered, or inserted, or if the order given fails to make perfect sense.
Certain responses are not absolutely incorrect, but are objectionable as regards sentence structure, or else fail to give the exact meaning intended. These are given half credit. Full credit on one, and half credit on each of the other two, is satisfactory. The following are samples of satisfactory and unsatisfactory responses:--
(a) _Satisfactory._ "We started for the country at an early hour."
"At an early hour we started for the country."
"We started at an early hour for the country."
_Unsatisfactory._ "We started early at an hour for the country."
"Early at an hour we started for the country."
"We started early for the country."
_Half credit._ "For the country at an early hour we started."
"For the country we started at an early hour."
(b) _Satisfactory._ "I asked my teacher to correct my paper."
_Unsatisfactory._ "My teacher asked to correct my paper."
"To correct my paper I asked my teacher."
_Half credit._ "My teacher I asked to correct my paper."
(c) _Satisfactory._ "A good dog defends his master bravely."
"A good dog bravely defends his master."
_Unsatisfactory._ "A dog defends his master bravely."
"A bravely dog defends his master."
"A good dog defends his bravely master."
"A good brave dog defends his master."
_Half credit._ "A dog defends his good master bravely."
"A dog bravely defends his good master."
"A good master bravely defends his dog."
REMARKS. This is an excellent test. It involves no knowledge which may not be presupposed at the age in which it is given, and success therefore depends very little on experience. The worst that can be urged against it is that it may possibly be influenced to a certain extent by the amount of reading the subject has done. But this has not been demonstrated. At any rate, the test satisfies the most important requirement of a test of intelligence; namely, the percentage of successes increases rapidly and steadily from the lower to the higher levels of mental age.
This experiment can be regarded as a variation of the completion test.
Binet tells us, in fact, that it was directly suggested by the experiment of Ebbinghaus. As will readily be observed, however, it differs to a certain extent from the Ebbinghaus completion test.
Ebbinghaus omits parts of a sentence and requires the subject to supply the omissions. In this test we give all the parts and require the formation of a sentence by rearrangement. The two experiments are psychologically similar in that they require the subject to relate given fragments into a meaningful whole. Success depends upon the ability of intelligence to utilize hints, or clues, and this in turn depends on the logical integrity of the a.s.sociative processes. All but the highest grade of the feeble-minded fail with this test.
This test is found in year XI of Binet"s 1908 series and in year XII of his 1911 revision. G.o.ddard and Kuhlmann retain it in the original location. That it is better placed in year XII is indicated by all the available statistics with normal children, except those of G.o.ddard. With this exception, the results of various investigators for year XII are in remarkably close agreement, as the following figures will show:--
_Per cent pa.s.sing at year XII_
Binet 66 Kuhlmann 68 Bobertag 78 Dougherty 64 Strong 72 Leviste and Morle 70 Stanford series (1911) 62 Stanford series (1913) 57 Stanford series (1914) 62 Princeton data 61
This agreement is noteworthy considering that no two experiments seem to have used exactly the same arrangement of words, and that some have presented the words of a sentence in a single line, others in two or three lines. A single line would appear to be somewhat easier.
XII, 5. 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 help him. Hercules came up, looked at the man, and said: "Put your shoulder to the wheel, my man, and whip up your oxen." Then he went away and left the driver._
(b) _The Milkmaid and her Plans_
_A milkmaid was carrying her pail of milk on her head, and was thinking to herself thus: "The money for this milk will buy 4 hens; the hens will lay at least 100 eggs; the eggs will produce at least 75 chicks; and with the money which the chicks will bring I can buy a new dress to wear instead of the ragged one I have on." At this moment she looked down at herself, trying to think how she would look in her new dress; but as she did so the pail of milk slipped from her head and dashed upon the ground. Thus all her imaginary schemes perished in a moment._
(c) _The Fox and the Crow_
_A crow, having stolen a bit of meat, perched in a tree and held it in her beak. A fox, seeing her, wished to secure the meat, and spoke to the crow thus: "How handsome you are! and I have heard that the beauty of your voice is equal to that of your form and feathers. Will you not sing for me, so that I may judge whether this is true?" The crow was so pleased that she opened her mouth to sing and dropped the meat, which the fox immediately ate._
(d) _The Farmer and the Stork_
_A farmer set some traps to catch cranes which had been eating his seed. With them he caught a stork. The stork, which had not really been stealing, begged the farmer to spare his life, saying that he was a bird of excellent character, that he was not at all like the cranes, and that the farmer should have pity on him. But the farmer said: "I have caught you with these robbers, and you will have to die with them."_
(e) _The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey_
_A miller and his son were driving their donkey to a neighboring town to sell him. They had not gone far when a child saw them and cried out: "What fools those fellows are to be trudging along on foot when one of them might be riding." The old man, hearing this, made his son get on the donkey, while he himself walked. Soon, they came upon some men. "Look," said one of them, "see that lazy boy riding while his old father has to walk." On hearing this, the miller made his son get off, and he climbed on the donkey himself. Farther on they met a company of women, who shouted out: "Why, you lazy old fellow, to ride along so comfortably while your poor boy there can hardly keep pace by the side of you!" And so the good-natured miller took his boy up behind him and both of them rode. As they came to the town a citizen said to them, "Why, you cruel fellows! You two are better able to carry the poor little donkey than he is to carry you." "Very well," said the miller, "we will try." So both of them jumped to the ground, got some ropes, tied the donkey"s legs to a pole and tried to carry him. But as they crossed the bridge the donkey became frightened, kicked loose and fell into the stream._
PROCEDURE. Present the fables in the order in which they are given above. The method is to say to the subject:
"_You know what a fable is? You have heard fables?_" Whatever the answer, proceed to explain a fable as follows: "_A fable, you know, is a little story, and is meant to teach us a lesson. Now, I am going to read a fable to you. Listen carefully, and when I am through I will ask you to tell me what lesson the fable teaches us. Ready; listen._" After reading the fable, say: "_What lesson does that teach us?_" Record the response _verbatim_ and proceed with the next as follows: "_Here is another. Listen again and tell me what lesson this fable teaches us_,"
etc.
As far as possible, avoid comment or commendation until all the fables have been given. If the first answer is of an inferior type and we express too much satisfaction with it, we thereby encourage the subject to continue in his error. On the other hand, never express dissatisfaction with a response, however absurd or _malapropos_ it may be. Many subjects are anxious to know how well they are doing and continually ask, "Did I get that one right?" It is sufficient to say, "You are getting along nicely," or something to that effect. Offer no comments, suggestions, or questions which might put the subject on the right track. This much self-control is necessary if we would make the conditions of the test uniform for all subjects.
The only occasion when a supplementary question is permissible is in case of a response whose meaning is not clear. Even then we must be cautious and restrict ourselves to some such question as, "_What do you mean?_" or, "_Explain; I don"t quite understand what you mean_." The scoring of fables is somewhat difficult at best, and this additional question is often sufficient to place the response very definitely in the right or wrong column.
SCORING. Give score 2, i.e., 2 points, for a correct answer, and 1 for an answer which deserves half credit. The test is pa.s.sed in year XII _if 4 points are earned_; that is, if two responses are correct or if one is correct and two deserve half credit.
Score 2 means that the fable has been correctly interpreted and that the lesson it teaches has been stated in general terms.
There are two types of response which may be given half credit. They include (1) the interpretations which are stated in general terms and are fairly plausible, but are not exactly correct; and (2) those which are perfectly correct as to substance, but are not generalized.
We overlook ordinary faults of expression and regard merely the essential meaning of the response.
The only way to explain the method is by giving copious ill.u.s.trations.
If the following sample responses are carefully studied, a reasonable degree of expertness in scoring fables may be acquired with only a limited amount of actual practice. The sampling may appear to the reader needlessly prolix, but experience has taught us that in giving directions for the scoring of tests error always lies on the side of taking too much for granted.
(a) _Hercules and the Wagoner_