The questions for this year are:—

  1. “What’s the thing for you to do when you have broken something which belongs to some one else?”
  2. “What’s the thing for you to do when you notice on your way to school that you are in danger of being tardy?”
  3. “What’s the thing for you to do if a playmate hits you without meaning to do it?”

The procedure is the same as in previous [comprehension] [questions].[57] Each question may be repeated once or twice, but its form must not be changed. No explanations are permissible.

Scoring:—

Question a (If you have broken something)

Satisfactory responses are those suggesting either restitution or apology, or both. Confession is not satisfactory unless accompanied by apology. The following are satisfactory: “Buy a new one.” “Pay for it.” “Give them something instead of it.” “Have my father mend it.” “Apologize.” “Tell them I’m sorry, that I did not mean to break it,” etc. Of 92 correct answers, 76 suggested restitution, while 16 suggested apology, or apology and restitution.

Unsatisfactory. “Tell them I did it.” “Go tell my mother.” “Feel sorry.” “Be ashamed.” “Pick it up,” etc. Mere confession accounts for over 20 per cent of all failures.

Question b (In danger of being tardy)

Satisfactory. The expected response is, “Hurry,” “Walk faster,” or something to that effect. One bright city boy said he would take a car. Of the answers not obviously incorrect, nearly 95 per cent suggest hurrying. The rule ordinarily recommended is to grade all other responses minus. But this rule is too sweeping to be followed blindly. One who would use intelligence tests must learn to discriminate. “I would go back home and not go to school that day” is a good answer in those cases (fortunately rare) in which children are forbidden by the teacher to enter the schoolroom if tardy. “Go back home and get mother to write an excuse” would be good policy if by so doing the child might escape the danger of incurring an extreme penalty. When teachers inflict absurd penalties for unexcused tardiness, it is the part of wisdom for children to incur no risks! When such a response is given, it is well to inquire into the school’s method of dealing with tardiness and to score the response accordingly.

Unsatisfactory. “Go to the principal.” “Tell the teacher I couldn’t help it.” “Have to get an excuse.” “Go to school anyway.” “Get punished.” “Not do it again.” “Not play hooky.” “Start earlier next time,” etc.

Lack of success results oftenest from failure to get the exact shade of meaning conveyed by the question. It is implied, of course, that something is to be done at once to avoid tardiness; but the subject of dull comprehension may suggest a suitable thing to do in case tardiness has been incurred. Hence the response, “I would go to the principal and explain.” Answers of this type are always unsatisfactory.

Question c (Playmate hits you)

Satisfactory responses are only those which suggest either excusing or overlooking the act. These ideas are variously expressed as follows: “I would excuse him” (about half of all the correct answers). “I would say ‘yes’ if he asked my pardon.” “I would say it was all right.” “I would take it for a joke.” “I would just be nice to him.” “I would go right on playing.” “I would take it kind-hearted.” “I would not fight or run and tell on him.” “I would not blame him for it.” “Ask him to be more careful,” etc.

Unsatisfactory responses are all those not of the above two types; as: “I would hit them back.” “I would not hit them back, but I would get even some other way.” “Tell them not to do it again.” “Tell them to ‘cut it out.’” “Tell him it’s a wrong thing to do.” “Make him excuse himself.” “Make him say he’s sorry.” “Would not play with him.” “Tell my mamma.” “I would ask him why he did it.” “He’d say ‘excuse me’ and I’d say ‘thank you.’” “He should excuse me.” “He is supposed to say ‘excuse me.’”

Remarks. All three comprehension questions of this year were used by Binet, Goddard, Huey, and others in year X; two of them in the “easy series” and one in the “hard series.” The Stanford data show that they belong at the 8-year level on the standard of scoring above set forth. The three differ little among themselves in difficulty, but all of them are decidedly easier than the other five used by Binet. It would be absurd to go on using the comprehension questions as Binet bunched them, eight together, ranging in difficulty from one which is easy enough for 6-year intelligence (“What’s the thing to do if you miss your train?”) to one which is hard for the 12-year level (“Why is a bad act done when one is angry more excusable than the same act done when one is not angry?”).

VIII, 4. Giving similarities; two things

Procedure. Say to the child: “I am going to name two things which are alike in some way, and I want you to tell me how they are alike. Wood and coal: in what way are they alike?” Proceed in the same manner with:—

After the first pair the formula may be abbreviated to “In what way are ... and ... alike?” It is often necessary to insist a little if the child is silent or says he does not know, but in doing this we must avoid supplementary questions and suggestions. In giving the first pair, for example, it would not be permissible to ask such additional questions as, “What do you use wood for? What do you use coal for? And now, how are wood and coal alike?” This is really putting the answer in the child’s mouth. It is only permissible to repeat the original question in a persuasive tone of voice, and perhaps to add: “I’m sure you can tell me how ... and ... are alike,” or something to that effect.