THE BINET TESTS APPLIED TO COLORED CHILDREN. By Bykon A.
Supervising Principal,
Phillips,
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Ph.D.
School, Philadelphia,
Pa.
In
measuring retardation in the past, emphasis has been laid pedagogic retardation owing to the fact that the psychological retardation of large numbers of children was impossible to ascertain. The Binet test furnishes us with a method for measuring the psychological retardation of the child. It is, however, almost impossible to test every child in the school system of a great city by means of these tests. This is so for two reasons: first, the length of time that would be required; secondly, the limited number of those who can This method of testing, however, might handle the Binet tests. be easily applied to a limited group of children and the psychological retardation compared with the pedagogic. In a former article (The Psychological Clinic, Vol. 6, No. 3) a comparison was made of the retardation of schools containing all colored pupils and of those containing none or only a few. The result on
of this has shown that the retardation of the colored schools is follows: J. Miller School Pollock School Catto School Ramsey School Vaux School Hill School Meehan School Wilmot School
as
68.2 per cent 60.6 67.3 70.9 66.3 72.0 58.3 59.3
The retardation of
Philadelphia in that year was 40.3 per cent. No even those composed almost totally of foreigners, had a retardation percentage above 56 per cent. While the result from this investigation leads to the conclusion that the mentality of the two groups is not the same, or else that the courses of instruction do not fit both groups equally well, there are a great many factors entering into this result which make it dangerous school in the
city,
to draw conclusions. One of these factors in particular is the environmental conditions of each group. Even ascertaining the environmental conditions of each group, still without knowing the home conditions of each individual
our
conclusions
comparison
are
apt
of the two groups
to be erroneous. a
psychological (190)
In order to make method is
a
preferable
BINET TESTS OF COLORED CHILDREN.
191
pedagogical if we can control all the factors. Of course in any experiment we should endeavor to reproduce exactly the This is particularly same conditions in each group of phenomena. difficult in sociological studies. However, we have endeavored to secure this result, by having the Binet tests made by a single individual, by taking pupils of the same chronological age as nearly as possible, and more important still we have only compared the white to
a
scientific
with the colored who have had the same home conditions. Forty colored girls and 46 colored boys, totaling 86, were tested
by
the Binet
scale;
75 white
girls
and 62 white
boys, totaling 137,
The home of each of these 223 pupils was likewise tested. visited and the home conditions noted, as Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor. In so rating the home the material (money), intellectual, and moral elements were noted in making up the rating. In the following comparison only the white children of excellent home conditions are compared with the colored of excellent home conditions; the were
good home conditions with the colored of good home condiand so on. This method of procedure, of course, necessitated the elimination of quite a number of those tested, so that our final comparison is made on 29 each of colored boys and girls respectively. Table I gives a percentage of the colored and the white boys white of
tions,
arranged chronologically. It will be noted that this table gives the following data: the chronological age, the Binet age, the Binet retardation, the Binet acceleration, the school grade, and the home conditions. Table II gives the same data for the girls. This table, it will be Table III summarizes tables I and II. I three Part that the retardation is divided into shows noted, parts. of the colored boys is .83, of the colored girls .57, and of boys and girls combined .7, against no average retardation for the white. On the other hand there is no acceleration in either colored girls or boys, while the white boys are accelerated .16, the white girls .19, the combined white group .17. Passing to the second group
see that of those tested 37.9 per while 65.5 per cent of the colored boys 46.4 cent of the white girls were retarded that were per retarded; boys and 71.4 per cent of the colored girls were retarded; and that 42.1 per cent of the white boys and girls combined were retarded, and that
cent of the white
were
we
retarded,
68.4 per cent of the colored boys and girls combined were retarded. This makes the colored boys retarded 17.4 per cent more than the white boys; the colored girls retarded 25 per cent more than the white girls; while the total rate of retardation of both groups is 26.3 per cent.
In the third group
we
find that 31 per cent of the colored
girls
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC.
192
TABLE I?BOYS.
COLORED
WHITE
15.0
11.2
3.8
5
E
15.8
11.4
4.4
6
E
14.2
9.8
4.4
5
F
14.5
11.2
3.3
5
F
6
13.9
11.8
2.1
5
13.0
9.6
3.4
4
G E
13.8 13.0
11.0 10.2
2.8 2.8
4
E G
12.5
12.2
.3
7
E
12.5
12.0
.5
7
E
11.2
10.2
1.0
4
G
11.1
10.8
.3
4
11.0
9.6
1.4
4
E
11.0
10.2
.8
4
E G
10.5
11.0
.5
5
G
10.5
11.6
5
G
9.9
8.8 9.8
3
F
4
3
P
9.8 9.7
10.6
.2 .7
3
P
9.6
10.0
.4
2
2
9.5 9.3
9.6
.1
3
8.0
9.2
9.2
E G F P G P G
9.6
9.5 9.5
1.1
10.2
9.2
1.3
9.3
8.2 10.0
9.2
9.0
.2
1
G G G
9.1
7.8
1.3
2
E
9.0
9.4
8.8 8.7
7.6 8.8
1.2
1
G G
8.6
10.0
2
8.3
8.2
8.6
6.8
1.8
1
F
8.2
10.2
8.5 8.2
7.0 6.8
1.5 1.4
2
P G
8.0 8.0
9.2
9.8
7.5 7.5 7.3 7.2 7.1 7.0
7.2
.3
G E E G
10.0 9.0 8.8
7.4
6.9 6.3 6.0
7.0 5.2
.7
.1
4
1
1.3
1 2 .4
2 2
G
2
F
2.0
2
1.2
2
G G
1.8
2
P
1.4 .1
8.0
.4
1
G
9.6
2.0 2.4
2
F
2
1.6
2
1.5
2
2.0
2
E E E G
IF 2
E
7.2
9.2
IF 1 E IE
6.7
7.6
.9
1
.7
6.5 6.5
7.8 7.6
1.3
1
1.1
1
2
8.2
.9
2
7.2
1 .9
.7 .8
4
.4
1.5
6.2
.8
.5
7.6 7.6 7.6 7.4 7.3
1
9.0
6.2
1.1
E E F
BINET TESTS OF COLORED CHILDREN.
193
TABLE II.?GIRLS.
COLORED
WHITE
14.4
11.8
2.6
8
E
14.5
15.6
14.3
12.0
2.3
7
E
14.4
13.0
13.7 13.1
12.2
1.5
12.8
12.4
12.5 12.5
12.6
10.6
11.7
10.0
7
E E
1.1
8
7
E
13.5
13.0
.5
7
E
1.9
7
E
13.4
12.4
1.0
7
E
5
15.0
2.5
5
7
G G
12.5
.1
12.4
15.0
2.6
5
1.9
5
E
12.1
12.2
.1
7
G G E
1.7
3
G
11.1
9.6
1.5
3
G
F E E G G E
10.8
9.4
1.4
4
G
10.6
1.2
3
E
10.4
9.4 9.8
.6
4
10.1
8.6
1.5
2
10.0
9.4 9.6
.6
4
10.0
.4
4
G G E E
3
G
3
E
15.0 .4
10.9
9.4
1.5
3
10.8
9.0
1.8
10.7
8.2
2.5
3 3
10.4
9.6
.8
4
10.3
10.2
.1
5
10.0
9.2
.8
2
9.5
8.2
1.3
9.5
11.4
8.7
8.0
8.4 8.3
8.0
8.1
6.8
7.6 7.6 7.5 7.3
1.4
4
G
9.8
10.4
4
E
9.7
8.8
.7
2
F
8.0
9.4
1.4
1
E
.4
2
E
8.0
8.8
.8
2
E
2
E G
8.0
9.6
1.6
2
G
8.0
9.0
1.0
2
F
IF
7.8
7.2
.6
2
F
G G G
7.7
6.2
1.5
1
7.6 7.0
9.2
1.6
1
8.2
1.2
1
G G G
G G E E
6.7 6.6 6.5 6.1
1.9
8.4
.1 1.3
7.2
.4
6.0
1.6
1
1
8.8
1.3
2
7.6
.3
1
6.9
6.6
.3
1
6.8
6.4
.4
1
6.2
7.2
1.0
1
6.1
7.2
1.1
1
.6 .9
7.6
.9
1
E
8.4
1.8
1
E
7.2
.7
1
6.6
.5
1
G G
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC.
194
TABLE III.
?!
?
H
ACCELERATED GROUP
RETARDED GROUP
WHOLE GROUP
-a
o
d>
V
? o
Supervising Principal,
Phillips,
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Ph.D.
School, Philadelphia,
Pa.
In
measuring retardation in the past, emphasis has been laid pedagogic retardation owing to the fact that the psychological retardation of large numbers of children was impossible to ascertain. The Binet test furnishes us with a method for measuring the psychological retardation of the child. It is, however, almost impossible to test every child in the school system of a great city by means of these tests. This is so for two reasons: first, the length of time that would be required; secondly, the limited number of those who can This method of testing, however, might handle the Binet tests. be easily applied to a limited group of children and the psychological retardation compared with the pedagogic. In a former article (The Psychological Clinic, Vol. 6, No. 3) a comparison was made of the retardation of schools containing all colored pupils and of those containing none or only a few. The result on
of this has shown that the retardation of the colored schools is follows: J. Miller School Pollock School Catto School Ramsey School Vaux School Hill School Meehan School Wilmot School
as
68.2 per cent 60.6 67.3 70.9 66.3 72.0 58.3 59.3
The retardation of
Philadelphia in that year was 40.3 per cent. No even those composed almost totally of foreigners, had a retardation percentage above 56 per cent. While the result from this investigation leads to the conclusion that the mentality of the two groups is not the same, or else that the courses of instruction do not fit both groups equally well, there are a great many factors entering into this result which make it dangerous school in the
city,
to draw conclusions. One of these factors in particular is the environmental conditions of each group. Even ascertaining the environmental conditions of each group, still without knowing the home conditions of each individual
our
conclusions
comparison
are
apt
of the two groups
to be erroneous. a
psychological (190)
In order to make method is
a
preferable
BINET TESTS OF COLORED CHILDREN.
191
pedagogical if we can control all the factors. Of course in any experiment we should endeavor to reproduce exactly the This is particularly same conditions in each group of phenomena. difficult in sociological studies. However, we have endeavored to secure this result, by having the Binet tests made by a single individual, by taking pupils of the same chronological age as nearly as possible, and more important still we have only compared the white to
a
scientific
with the colored who have had the same home conditions. Forty colored girls and 46 colored boys, totaling 86, were tested
by
the Binet
scale;
75 white
girls
and 62 white
boys, totaling 137,
The home of each of these 223 pupils was likewise tested. visited and the home conditions noted, as Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor. In so rating the home the material (money), intellectual, and moral elements were noted in making up the rating. In the following comparison only the white children of excellent home conditions are compared with the colored of excellent home conditions; the were
good home conditions with the colored of good home condiand so on. This method of procedure, of course, necessitated the elimination of quite a number of those tested, so that our final comparison is made on 29 each of colored boys and girls respectively. Table I gives a percentage of the colored and the white boys white of
tions,
arranged chronologically. It will be noted that this table gives the following data: the chronological age, the Binet age, the Binet retardation, the Binet acceleration, the school grade, and the home conditions. Table II gives the same data for the girls. This table, it will be Table III summarizes tables I and II. I three Part that the retardation is divided into shows noted, parts. of the colored boys is .83, of the colored girls .57, and of boys and girls combined .7, against no average retardation for the white. On the other hand there is no acceleration in either colored girls or boys, while the white boys are accelerated .16, the white girls .19, the combined white group .17. Passing to the second group
see that of those tested 37.9 per while 65.5 per cent of the colored boys 46.4 cent of the white girls were retarded that were per retarded; boys and 71.4 per cent of the colored girls were retarded; and that 42.1 per cent of the white boys and girls combined were retarded, and that
cent of the white
were
we
retarded,
68.4 per cent of the colored boys and girls combined were retarded. This makes the colored boys retarded 17.4 per cent more than the white boys; the colored girls retarded 25 per cent more than the white girls; while the total rate of retardation of both groups is 26.3 per cent.
In the third group
we
find that 31 per cent of the colored
girls
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC.
192
TABLE I?BOYS.
COLORED
WHITE
15.0
11.2
3.8
5
E
15.8
11.4
4.4
6
E
14.2
9.8
4.4
5
F
14.5
11.2
3.3
5
F
6
13.9
11.8
2.1
5
13.0
9.6
3.4
4
G E
13.8 13.0
11.0 10.2
2.8 2.8
4
E G
12.5
12.2
.3
7
E
12.5
12.0
.5
7
E
11.2
10.2
1.0
4
G
11.1
10.8
.3
4
11.0
9.6
1.4
4
E
11.0
10.2
.8
4
E G
10.5
11.0
.5
5
G
10.5
11.6
5
G
9.9
8.8 9.8
3
F
4
3
P
9.8 9.7
10.6
.2 .7
3
P
9.6
10.0
.4
2
2
9.5 9.3
9.6
.1
3
8.0
9.2
9.2
E G F P G P G
9.6
9.5 9.5
1.1
10.2
9.2
1.3
9.3
8.2 10.0
9.2
9.0
.2
1
G G G
9.1
7.8
1.3
2
E
9.0
9.4
8.8 8.7
7.6 8.8
1.2
1
G G
8.6
10.0
2
8.3
8.2
8.6
6.8
1.8
1
F
8.2
10.2
8.5 8.2
7.0 6.8
1.5 1.4
2
P G
8.0 8.0
9.2
9.8
7.5 7.5 7.3 7.2 7.1 7.0
7.2
.3
G E E G
10.0 9.0 8.8
7.4
6.9 6.3 6.0
7.0 5.2
.7
.1
4
1
1.3
1 2 .4
2 2
G
2
F
2.0
2
1.2
2
G G
1.8
2
P
1.4 .1
8.0
.4
1
G
9.6
2.0 2.4
2
F
2
1.6
2
1.5
2
2.0
2
E E E G
IF 2
E
7.2
9.2
IF 1 E IE
6.7
7.6
.9
1
.7
6.5 6.5
7.8 7.6
1.3
1
1.1
1
2
8.2
.9
2
7.2
1 .9
.7 .8
4
.4
1.5
6.2
.8
.5
7.6 7.6 7.6 7.4 7.3
1
9.0
6.2
1.1
E E F
BINET TESTS OF COLORED CHILDREN.
193
TABLE II.?GIRLS.
COLORED
WHITE
14.4
11.8
2.6
8
E
14.5
15.6
14.3
12.0
2.3
7
E
14.4
13.0
13.7 13.1
12.2
1.5
12.8
12.4
12.5 12.5
12.6
10.6
11.7
10.0
7
E E
1.1
8
7
E
13.5
13.0
.5
7
E
1.9
7
E
13.4
12.4
1.0
7
E
5
15.0
2.5
5
7
G G
12.5
.1
12.4
15.0
2.6
5
1.9
5
E
12.1
12.2
.1
7
G G E
1.7
3
G
11.1
9.6
1.5
3
G
F E E G G E
10.8
9.4
1.4
4
G
10.6
1.2
3
E
10.4
9.4 9.8
.6
4
10.1
8.6
1.5
2
10.0
9.4 9.6
.6
4
10.0
.4
4
G G E E
3
G
3
E
15.0 .4
10.9
9.4
1.5
3
10.8
9.0
1.8
10.7
8.2
2.5
3 3
10.4
9.6
.8
4
10.3
10.2
.1
5
10.0
9.2
.8
2
9.5
8.2
1.3
9.5
11.4
8.7
8.0
8.4 8.3
8.0
8.1
6.8
7.6 7.6 7.5 7.3
1.4
4
G
9.8
10.4
4
E
9.7
8.8
.7
2
F
8.0
9.4
1.4
1
E
.4
2
E
8.0
8.8
.8
2
E
2
E G
8.0
9.6
1.6
2
G
8.0
9.0
1.0
2
F
IF
7.8
7.2
.6
2
F
G G G
7.7
6.2
1.5
1
7.6 7.0
9.2
1.6
1
8.2
1.2
1
G G G
G G E E
6.7 6.6 6.5 6.1
1.9
8.4
.1 1.3
7.2
.4
6.0
1.6
1
1
8.8
1.3
2
7.6
.3
1
6.9
6.6
.3
1
6.8
6.4
.4
1
6.2
7.2
1.0
1
6.1
7.2
1.1
1
.6 .9
7.6
.9
1
E
8.4
1.8
1
E
7.2
.7
1
6.6
.5
1
G G
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC.
194
TABLE III.
?!
?
H
ACCELERATED GROUP
RETARDED GROUP
WHOLE GROUP
-a
o
d>
V
? o
