Young subjects, because of their natural timidity in the presence of strangers, sometimes refuse to respond to this test. With subjects under 5 or 6 years of age it is sometimes necessary in such cases to re-read the first series of digits several times in order to secure a response. The response thus secured, however, is not counted in scoring, the purpose of the re-reading being merely to break the child’s silence. The second and third series may be read but once. With the digits tests above year IV the re-reading of a series is never permissible.
Scoring. Passed if the child repeats correctly, after a single reading, one series out of the three series given. Not only must the correct digits be given, but the order also must be correct.
Remarks. Others, on the basis of rather scanty data, have usually located this test at the 4-year level. Our results show that with the procedure described above it is fully as easy as the test of repeating sentences of 6 to 7 syllables.[48]
FOOTNOTES:
[46] See instructions for [VII, 2], and [XII, 7].
[47] For a discussion of the significance of the different types of response, enumeration, description, and interpretation, see [VII, 2], and [XII, 7].
[48] See p. [194] ff. for further discussion of the digits test.