Procedure. After getting the child’s attention, say: “What must you do when you are sleepy?” If necessary the question may be repeated a number of times, using a persuasive and encouraging tone of voice. No other form of question may be substituted. About twenty seconds may be allowed for an answer, though as a rule subjects of 4 or 5 years usually answer quite promptly or not at all.
Proceed in the same way with the other two questions: “What ought you to do when you are cold?” “What ought you to do when you are hungry?”
Scoring. There must be two correct responses out of three. No one form of answer is required. It is sufficient if the question is comprehended and given a reasonably sensible answer. The following are samples of correct responses:—
- “Go to bed.” “Go to sleep.” “Have my mother get me ready for bed.” “Lie still, not talk, and I’ll soon be asleep.”
- “Put on a coat” (or “cloak,” “furs,” “wrap up,” etc.). “Build a fire.” “Run and I’ll soon get warm.” “Get close to the stove.” “Go into the house,” or, “Go to bed,” may possibly deserve the score plus, though they are somewhat doubtful and are certainly inferior to the responses just given.
- “Eat something.” “Drink some milk.” “Buy a lunch.” “Have my mamma spread some bread and butter,” etc.
With the comprehension questions in this year it is nearly always easy to decide whether the response is acceptable, failure being indicated usually either by silence or by an absurd or irrelevant answer. One 8-year-old boy who had less than 4-year intelligence answered all three questions by putting his finger on his eye and saying: “I’d do that.” “Have to cry” is a rather common incorrect response.
Remarks. The purpose of these questions is to ascertain whether the child can comprehend the situations suggested and give a reasonably pertinent reply. The first requirement, of course, is to understand the language; the second is to tell how the situation suggested should be met.
The question may be raised whether a given child might not fail to answer the questions correctly and yet have the intelligence to do the appropriate thing if the real situation were present. This is at least conceivable, but since it would not be practicable to make the subject actually cold, sleepy, or hungry in order to observe his behavior, we must content ourselves with suggesting a situation to be imagined. It probably requires more intelligence to tell what one ought to do in a situation which has to be imagined than to do the right thing when the real situation is encountered.
The comprehension questions of this year had not been standardized until the Stanford investigation of 1913–14. Questions a and b were suggested by Binet in 1905, while c is new. They make an excellent test of 4-year intelligence.
IV, 6. Repeating four digits
Procedure. Say: “Now, listen. I am going to say over some numbers and after I am through, I want you to say them exactly like I do. Listen closely and get them just right—4–7–3–9.” Same with 2–8–5–4 and 7–2–6–1. The examiner should consume nearly four seconds in pronouncing each series, and should practice in advance until this speed can be closely approximated. If the child refuses to respond, the first series may be repeated as often as may be necessary to prove an attempt, but success with a series which has been re-read may not be counted. The second and third series may be pronounced but once.