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 illustrations. 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
Full credit; score 2. “God helps those who help themselves.” “Do not depend on others.” “Help yourself before calling for help.” “It teaches that we should rely upon ourselves.”
The following are not quite so good, but are nevertheless considered satisfactory. “We should always try, even if it looks hard and we think we can’t do it.” “When in trouble try to get out of it yourself.” “We’ve got to do things without help.” “Not to be lazy.”
Half credit; score 1. This is most often given for the response which contains the correct idea, but states it in terms of the concrete situation, e.g.: “The man ought to have tried himself first.” “Hercules wanted to teach the man to help himself.” “The driver was too much inclined to depend on others.” “The man was too lazy. He should not have called for help until he had tried to get out by himself.” “To get out and try instead of watching.”
Unsatisfactory; score 0. Failures are mainly of five varieties: (1) generalized interpretations which entirely miss the point; (2) crude interpretations which not only miss the point, but are also stated in terms of the concrete situation; (3) irrelevant or incoherent remarks; (4) efforts to repeat the story; and (5) inability to respond.
Sample failures of type (1), entirely incorrect generalizations: “Teaches us to look where we are going.” “Not to ask for anything when there is no one to help.” “To help those who are in trouble.” “Teaches us to be polite.” “How to help others.” “Not to be cruel to horses.” “Always to do what people tell you” (or “obey orders,” etc.). “Not to be foolish” (or stupid, etc.). “If you would have a thing well done, do it yourself.”
Failures of type (2), crude interpretations stated in concrete terms: “How to get out of the mud.” “Not to get stuck in the mud.” “To carry a stick along to pry yourself out if you get into a mud-hole.” “To help any one who is stuck in the mud.” “Taught Hercules to help the horses along and not whip them too hard.” “Not to be mean like Hercules.”
Failures of type (3), irrelevant responses: “It was foolish not to thank him.” “He should have helped the driver.” “Hercules was mean.” “If any one helps himself the horses will try.” “The driver should have done what Hercules told him.” “He wanted the man to help the oxen.”
Type (4): Efforts to repeat the story.
Type (5): Inability to respond.
(b) The Maid and the Eggs
Full credit; score 2. “Teaches us not to build air-castles.” “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.” “Not to plan too far ahead.” Slightly inferior, but still acceptable: “Never make too many plans.” “Don’t count on the second thing till you have done the first.”
Half credit; score 1. “It teaches us not to have our minds on the future when we carry milk on the head.” “She was building air-castles and so lost her milk.” “She was planning too far ahead.”
The responses just given are examples of fairly correct interpretations in non-generalized terms. The following are examples of generalized interpretations which fall below the accuracy required for full credit: “Never make plans.” “Not to be too proud.” “To keep our mind on what we are doing.” “Don’t cross a bridge till you come to it.” “Don’t count your eggs before they are hatched.” “Not to be wanting things; learn to wait.” “Not to imagine; go ahead and do it.”
Unsatisfactory; score 0. Type (1), entirely incorrect generalization: “That money does not buy everything.” “Not to be greedy.” “Not to be selfish.” “Not to waste things.” “Not to take risks like that.” “Not to think about clothes.” “Count your chickens before they are hatched.”
Type (2), very crude interpretations stated in concrete terms: “Not to carry milk on the head.” “Teaches her to watch and not throw down her head.” “To carry her head straight.” “Not to spill milk.” “To keep your chickens and you will make more money.”
Type (3), irrelevant responses: “She wanted the money.” “Teaches us to read and write” (18-year-old of 8-year intelligence). “About a girl who was selling some milk.”
Type (4), effort to repeat the story.
Type (5), inability to respond.
(c) The Fox and the Crow
Full credit; score 2. “Teaches us not to listen to flattery.” “Don’t let yourself be flattered.” “It is not safe to believe people who flatter us.” “We had better look out for people who brag on us.”
Half credit; score 1. Correct idea in concrete terms: “The crow was so proud of herself that she lost all she had.” “The crow listened to flattery and got left.” “Not to be proud and let people think you can sing when you can’t.” “If anybody brags on you don’t sing or do what he tells you.”
Pertinent but somewhat inferior generalizations: “Not to be too proud.” “Pride goes before a fall.” “To be on our guard against people who are our enemies.” “Not to do everything people tell you.” “Don’t trust every slick fellow you meet.”
Unsatisfactory; score 0. Type (1), incorrect generalization: “Not to go with people you don’t know.” “Not to be selfish.” “To share your food.” “Look before you leap.” “Not to listen to evil.” “Not to steal.” “Teaches honesty.” “Not to covet.” “Think for yourself.” “Teaches wisdom.” “Never listen to advice.” “Never let any one get ahead of you.” “To figure out what they are going to do.” “Never try to do two things at once.” “How to get what you want.”
Type (2), very crude interpretation stated in terms of the concrete situation: “Not to sing before you eat.” “Not to hold a thing in your mouth; eat it.” “To eat a thing before you think of your beauty.” “To swallow it before you sing.” “To be on your watch when you have food in your mouth.”
Type (3), irrelevant responses: “The fox was greedy.” “The fox was slicker than what the crow was.” “The crow ought not to have opened her mouth.” “The crow should just have shaken her head.” “It served the crow right for stealing the meat.” “The fox wanted the meat and just told the crow that to get it.” “Foolishness.” “Guess that’s where the old fox got his name—‘Old Foxy’—Don’t teach us anything.”
Type (4), efforts to repeat the story.
Type (5), inability to respond.
(d) The Farmer and the Stork
Full credit; score 2. “You are judged by the company you keep.” “Teaches us to keep out of bad company.” “Birds of a feather flock together.” “If you go with bad people you are counted like them.” “We should choose our friends carefully.” “Don’t go with bad people.” “Teaches us to avoid the appearance of evil.”
Half credit; score 1. “The stork should not have been with the cranes.” “Teaches him not to go with robbers.” “Don’t go with people who are not of your nation.” “Not to follow others.”
Unsatisfactory; score 0. Type (1), incorrect generalization: “Not to steal.” “Not to tell lies.” “Not to give excuses.” “A poor excuse is better than none.” “Not to trust what people say.” “Not to listen to excuses.” “Not to harm animals that do no harm.” “To have pity on others.” “Not to be cruel.” “To be kind to birds.” “Not to blame people for what they don’t do.” “Teaches that those who do good often suffer for those who do evil.” “To tend to your own business.” “Not to meddle with other people’s things.” “Not to trespass on people’s property.” “Not to think you are so nice.” “To keep out of mischief.”
Type (2), very crude interpretations in concrete terms: “Taught the stork to look where it stepped and not walk into a trap.” “Taught the stork to keep out of the man’s field.” “Not to take the seeds.”
Type (3), irrelevant responses: “The farmer was right; storks do eat grain.” “Served the stork right, he was stealing too.” “He should try to help the stork out of the field.”
Type (4), efforts to repeat the story.
Type (5), inability to reply.
(e) The Miller, His Son, and the Donkey
Full credit; score 2. “When you try to please everybody you please nobody.” “Don’t listen to everybody; you can’t please them all.” “Don’t take every one’s advice.” “Don’t try to do what everybody tells you.” “Use your own judgment.” “Have a mind of your own.” “Make up your mind and stick to it.” “Don’t be wishy-washy.” “Have confidence in your own opinions.”
Half credit; score 1. Interpretations which are generalized but somewhat inferior: “Never take any one’s advice” (too sweeping a conclusion). “Don’t take foolish advice.” “Take your own advice.” “It teaches us that people don’t always agree.”
Correct idea but not generalized: “They were fools to listen to everybody.” “They should have walked or rode just as they thought best, without listening to other people.”
Unsatisfactory; score 0. Type (1), incorrect generalization: “To do right.” “To do what people tell you.” “To be kind to old people.” “To be polite.” “To serve others.” “Not to be cruel to animals.” “To have sympathy for beasts of burden.” “To be good-natured.” “Not to load things on animals that are small.” “That it is always better to leave things as they are.” “That men were not made for beasts of burden.”
Type (2), very crude interpretations stated in concrete terms: “Not to try to carry the donkey.” “That walking is better than riding.” “The people should have been more polite to the old man.” “That the father should be allowed to ride.”
Type (3), irrelevant responses: “The men were too heavy for the donkey.” “They ought to have stayed on and they would not have fallen into the stream.” “It teaches about a man and he lost his donkey.”
Type (4), efforts to repeat the story.
Type (5), inability to respond.
Remarks. The fable test, or the “test of generalization,” as it may aptly be named, was used by the writer in a study of the intellectual processes of bright and dull boys in 1905,[71] and was further standardized by the writer and Mr. Childs in 1911.[72] It has proved its worth in a number of investigations. It has been necessary, however, to simplify the rather elaborate method of scoring which was proposed in 1911, not because of any logical fault of the method, but because of the difficulty in teaching examiners to use the system correctly. The method explained above is somewhat coarser, but it has the advantage of being much easier to learn.
The generalization test presents for interpretation situations which are closely paralleled in the everyday social experience of human beings. It tests the subject’s ability to understand motives underlying acts or attitudes. It gives a clue to the status of the social consciousness. This is highly important in the diagnosis of the upper range of mental defectiveness. The criterion of the subnormal’s fitness for life outside an institution is his ability to understand social relations and to adjust himself to them. Failure of a subnormal to meet this criterion may lead him to break common conventions, and to appear disrespectful, sulky, stubborn, or in some other way queer and exceptional. He is likely to be misunderstood, because he so easily misunderstands others. The skein of human motives is too complex for his limited intelligence to untangle.
Ethnological studies have shown in an interesting way the social origin of the moral judgment. The rectitude of the moral life, therefore, depends on the accuracy of the social judgment. It would be interesting to know what proportion of offenders have transgressed moral codes because of continued failure to grasp the essential lessons presented by human situations.
For the intelligent child even the common incidents of life carry an endless succession of lessons in right conduct. On the average school playground not an hour passes without some happening which is fraught with a moral hint to those who have intelligence enough to generalize the situation. A boy plays unfairly and is barred from the game. One bullies his weaker companion and arouses the anger and scorn of all his fellows. Another vents his braggadocio and feels at once the withering scorn of those who listen. Laziness, selfishness, meanness, dishonesty, ingratitude, inconstancy, inordinate pride, and the countless other faults all have their social penalties. The child of normal intelligence sees the point, draws the appropriate lesson and (provided emotions and will are also normal) applies it more or less effectively as a guide to his own conduct. To the feeble-minded child, all but lacking in the power of abstraction and generalization, the situation conveys no such lesson. It is but a muddle of concrete events without general significance; or even if its meaning is vaguely apprehended, the powers of inhibition are insufficient to guarantee that right action will follow.
It is for this reason that the generalization test is so valuable in the mental examinations of delinquents. It presents a moral situation, imagined, to be sure, but none the less real to the individual of normal comprehension. It tells us quickly whether the subject tested is able to see beyond the incidents of the given situation and to grasp their wider relations—whether he is able to generalize the concrete.