VERSUS TEACHER'S
INTELLIGENCE TESTS
ESTIMATE. By Ethel D. Graduate
Student,
Leland
Whitmire, Stanford Jr. University.
following report is offered as a piece of evidence for the intelligence tests in determining the ability of students opposed to the sometimes vague or indefinite judgment of the The
accuracy of the as
The Stanford Revision of the Binet Simon tests was used in obtaining some special information about retarded the examiner by children. The two subjects specially described are pupils in the
teacher.
sixth grade of a large public school. The teacher of their class gave a detailed account of difficulties concerning a number of backward children and was particularly perplexed regarding Anna and Roy. In her opinion neither one could accomplish the work of the
high
she said that of the two Anna was more capable, more There was no criticism of Roy's behavmore ambitious. ior other than that he seemed too indifferent to apply the necessary effort. Both pupils were going to be promoted, however, at the mid-
grade, but willing and
term because the
incoming
class would be too
large
to
permit
their
in it.
remaining Roy's attitude during the test was that of ordinary interest coupled with an evident desire to answer the various questions as well as possible. He volunteered the regret that he had not worked harder to obtain better marks in school but had felt no other interest beyond the ever-present desire to enlist in the navy. He frankly acknowledged that he "hated" school and so informed the teacher. From other sources the examiner learned that Roy's home life is very unsettled. His mother is a confirmed alcoholic. His father engaged in the lumber business and is away from home most of the time. Roy spends his vacations with his father and completed
is
the work of the fifth grade in a little school in the mountains near the lumber camp. Upon returning to the city he said that his in the mountains made him feel older than his former experience he was and schoolmates, disappointed that he was not more advanced In his own words, "There I worked around the camp and sometimes went hunting with the men on Sundays, Saturdays and when I came down here to school again I was not up in class
in his studies. on
with the boys and girls I had known." The results of the test were as follows: C. I. Q. 106. (197)
Age 13-7,
M.
Age 14-2,
198
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC.
the sccond subject, is of Italian parentage but speaks home. Her mother was born in this country, and her He had not had an education beyond the father came here as a boy.
Anna, English at fourth
grade. Her mother had attended a convent for several years and had been married at the age of sixteen. The family lived on a small ranch belonging to an uncle, but the father purchase it with his accumulated savings.
During the blankly.
rather
was
planning
to
test Anna was very
quiet, smiling continually and questions belonging to the seven-year expression showed real interest, as she did
When the
group were reached her not have to hesitate for a suitable answer. She became communicative and told the examiner that she liked to go to school, and that she studied her lessons every day but forgot them easily. She has been
promoted fairly regularly but had not thought of trying to eighth grade. She seemed like a very young child when she added, like a list of virtuous acts, that she always helped the teacher by watering the plants, cleaning the boards and bringing fresh flowers for the room. The results of the test were as follows: C. Age 13-6, M. Age 8-3, I. Q. 61. progress farther than the
We may only guess at the standard of the particular teacher in to the meaning of general intelligence. The evidence in Anna's case makes us conclude that the attitude of willingness, attention and attempts at studying formed too large a part in the The poor results of her efforts were excused definition of ability.
regard
by the facts of a weak memory, lack of confidence and marked shyness. Her ability was overestimated chiefly on account of her pleasant nature. Roy's ability was underestimated because he did not come up to the teacher's idea of showing the proper attitude towards his He had made good progress work and therefore became difficult. up to the fifth grade, and because he did not study this progress had not continued. He was not plastic enough to accept the routine with the cheerfulness of Anna, and so his rebellion was taken for stupidity. More definite conclusions might have been possible had not the psychologist in charge desired that the results of the tests should not be discussed with the teacher.
INTELLIGENCE TESTS
ESTIMATE. By Ethel D. Graduate
Student,
Leland
Whitmire, Stanford Jr. University.
following report is offered as a piece of evidence for the intelligence tests in determining the ability of students opposed to the sometimes vague or indefinite judgment of the The
accuracy of the as
The Stanford Revision of the Binet Simon tests was used in obtaining some special information about retarded the examiner by children. The two subjects specially described are pupils in the
teacher.
sixth grade of a large public school. The teacher of their class gave a detailed account of difficulties concerning a number of backward children and was particularly perplexed regarding Anna and Roy. In her opinion neither one could accomplish the work of the
high
she said that of the two Anna was more capable, more There was no criticism of Roy's behavmore ambitious. ior other than that he seemed too indifferent to apply the necessary effort. Both pupils were going to be promoted, however, at the mid-
grade, but willing and
term because the
incoming
class would be too
large
to
permit
their
in it.
remaining Roy's attitude during the test was that of ordinary interest coupled with an evident desire to answer the various questions as well as possible. He volunteered the regret that he had not worked harder to obtain better marks in school but had felt no other interest beyond the ever-present desire to enlist in the navy. He frankly acknowledged that he "hated" school and so informed the teacher. From other sources the examiner learned that Roy's home life is very unsettled. His mother is a confirmed alcoholic. His father engaged in the lumber business and is away from home most of the time. Roy spends his vacations with his father and completed
is
the work of the fifth grade in a little school in the mountains near the lumber camp. Upon returning to the city he said that his in the mountains made him feel older than his former experience he was and schoolmates, disappointed that he was not more advanced In his own words, "There I worked around the camp and sometimes went hunting with the men on Sundays, Saturdays and when I came down here to school again I was not up in class
in his studies. on
with the boys and girls I had known." The results of the test were as follows: C. I. Q. 106. (197)
Age 13-7,
M.
Age 14-2,
198
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC.
the sccond subject, is of Italian parentage but speaks home. Her mother was born in this country, and her He had not had an education beyond the father came here as a boy.
Anna, English at fourth
grade. Her mother had attended a convent for several years and had been married at the age of sixteen. The family lived on a small ranch belonging to an uncle, but the father purchase it with his accumulated savings.
During the blankly.
rather
was
planning
to
test Anna was very
quiet, smiling continually and questions belonging to the seven-year expression showed real interest, as she did
When the
group were reached her not have to hesitate for a suitable answer. She became communicative and told the examiner that she liked to go to school, and that she studied her lessons every day but forgot them easily. She has been
promoted fairly regularly but had not thought of trying to eighth grade. She seemed like a very young child when she added, like a list of virtuous acts, that she always helped the teacher by watering the plants, cleaning the boards and bringing fresh flowers for the room. The results of the test were as follows: C. Age 13-6, M. Age 8-3, I. Q. 61. progress farther than the
We may only guess at the standard of the particular teacher in to the meaning of general intelligence. The evidence in Anna's case makes us conclude that the attitude of willingness, attention and attempts at studying formed too large a part in the The poor results of her efforts were excused definition of ability.
regard
by the facts of a weak memory, lack of confidence and marked shyness. Her ability was overestimated chiefly on account of her pleasant nature. Roy's ability was underestimated because he did not come up to the teacher's idea of showing the proper attitude towards his He had made good progress work and therefore became difficult. up to the fifth grade, and because he did not study this progress had not continued. He was not plastic enough to accept the routine with the cheerfulness of Anna, and so his rebellion was taken for stupidity. More definite conclusions might have been possible had not the psychologist in charge desired that the results of the tests should not be discussed with the teacher.
