Scoring. Passed if all three questions are answered correctly and promptly without the necessity of counting. Some subjects do not understand the question to include the thumbs. We disregard this if the number of fingers exclusive of thumbs is given correctly.
Remarks. Like the two tests of counting pennies, this one, also, throws light on the child’s spontaneous interest in numbers. However, the mental processes it calls into play are a little less simple than those required for mere counting. If the child is able to give the number of fingers, it is ordinarily because he has previously counted them and has remembered the result. The memory would hardly be retained but for a certain interest in numbers as such. Middle-grade imbeciles of even adult age seldom remember how many fingers they have, however often they may have been told. They are not able to form accurate concepts of other than the simplest number relationships, and numbers have little interest or meaning for them.
Binet gave this test a place in year VII of the 1908 series, but omitted it in the 1911 revision. Goddard omits it, while Kuhlmann retains it in year VII, where, according to our own figures, it unmistakably belongs. Bobertag finds it rather easy for year VII, though too difficult for year VI.
Our data prove that this test fulfills the requirements of a good test. It shows a rapid but even rise from year V to year VIII in the per cent passing, the agreement among the different testers is extraordinarily close, and it is relatively little influenced by training and social environment. For these reasons, and because it is so easy to give and score with uniformity, it well deserves a place in the scale.
VII, 2. Description of pictures
Procedure. Use the same pictures as in [III, 3], presenting them always in the following order: Dutch Home, River Scene, Post-Office. The formula for the test in this year is somewhat different from [that of year III]. Say: “What is this picture about? What is this a picture of?” Use the double question, and follow the formula exactly. It would ruin the test to say: “Tell me everything you see in this picture,” for this form of question tends to provoke the enumeration response even with intelligent children of this age.
When there is no response, the question may be repeated as often as is necessary to break the silence.
Scoring. The test is passed if two of the three pictures are described or interpreted. Interpretation, however, is seldom encountered at this age. Often the response consists of a mixture of enumeration and description. The rule is that the reaction to a picture should not be scored plus unless it is made up chiefly of description (or interpretation).
Study of the following samples of satisfactory responses will give a fairly definite idea of the requirements for satisfactory description:—
Picture (a): satisfactory responses
“The little girl is crying. The mother is looking at her and there is a little kitten on the floor.”
“The mother is watching the baby, and the cat is looking at a hole in the floor, and there is a lamp and a table so I guess it’s a dining room.”
“The little girl has wooden shoes. Her mother is sitting in a chair and has a funny cap on her head. The cat is sitting on the floor and there is a basket by the mother and a table with something on it.”
“It’s about Holland. The little Dutch girl is crying and the mother is sitting down.”
“A little Dutch girl and her mother and that’s a kitten, and the little girl has her hand up as if she was doing something to her forehead. She has shoes that curve up in front.”
“Dutch lady, and the little baby doesn’t want to come to her mother and the cat is looking for some mice.”
“The mother is sitting down and the little one has her hands up over her eyes. There’s a pail by the mother and a chair with some clothes on it and a table with dishes. And here’s a lamp and here’s some curtains.”
Picture (b): satisfactory responses
“Some people in a boat. The water is high and if they don’t look out the boat will tip over.”
“Some Indians and a lady and man. They are in a boat on the river and the boat is about to upset, and there are some dead trees going to fall.”
“There’s a lot of water coming up to drown the people. There are two people in the boat and the boat is sinking.”
“There’s some people sailing in a canoe and the woman is leaning over on the man because she is afraid.”
“There’s an Indian and some white people in the boat. I suppose they are out for a ride in a canoe.”
“Picture about some man and lady in a canoe and going down to the sea.”
“They are taking a boat ride on the ocean and the water is up so high that one of them is scared. Here are some trees and two of them are going to fall down. Here’s a little place or bridge you can stand on. The man is touching this one’s head and this one has his hand on the cover.”
“The water is splashing all over. There’s trees on this bank and there’s a rock and some trees falling down. The people have a blanket over them.”
Picture (c): satisfactory responses
“A man selling eggs and two men reading the paper together and two men watching.”
“A few men reading a newspaper and one has a basket of eggs and this one has been fishing.”
“There’s a man with a basket of eggs and another is reading the paper and a woman is hanging out clothes. There’s a house near.”
“There’s a man trying to read the paper and the others want to read it too. Here’s a lady walking up to the barn. There are houses over there and one man has a basket.”
“There’s a big brick house and five men by it and a man with a basket of eggs and a post-office sign and a lady going home.”
“They are all looking at the paper. He is looking over the other man’s shoulder and this one is looking at the back of the paper. There’s a woman cleaning up her back yard and some coops for hens.”
“A man reading a paper, a man with eggs, a woman and a tree and another house. That man has an apron on. This is the post-office.”