PSYCHOLOGY OF MENTAL DEFICIENCY 



9 1 



Fig. 11. An apparatus devised by 

 Dr. Goddard for testing the ability to 

 recognize objects by the sense of touch 

 (stereagnostic sense). 



younger, his development is ar- 

 rested to the extent of one year, 

 and similarly for two or three 

 years. If he is unable to do the 

 tests for more than three previous 

 years, he is mentally defective and 

 his mental age is determined by 

 the tests which he can accomplish. 

 The test for a child of six 

 years of age mentally is as fol- 

 lows : Shows right hand, left ear. 

 Repeats sentences of 16 syllables. 

 Distinguishes pretty from ugly or 

 deformed faces, in pictures. De- 

 fines, in terms of use, the words 

 table, chair, horse, mama. Per- 

 forms three commissions given 

 simultaneously. Knows age. 



Knows whether it is forenoon or 

 afternoon. 



The tests for seven are: Notes 

 omission of eyes, nose, mouth or 



arms, from portraits. States number of fingers on right hand, left 

 hand, both hands. Copies written sentences, with pen, so they can be 

 read. Draws diamond-shaped figures from copy (child of mentality of 

 six years can not do it. See illustrations, Fig. 4.) Repeat five numbers 

 in order, when heard once. Describe a picture shown. Counts 13 



pennies, one by one. 



Mentally defective children 

 seldom reach the mentality of a 

 normal child of twelve years, who 

 can meet the following require- 

 ments. ■ Rearranges shuffled 

 words of eight-word sentences. 

 Repeats seven numerals in order, 

 when heard once. Names three 

 words that rhyme with obey, in 

 one minute. Repeats, with no 

 errors, sentences of 26 syllables. 

 Infers a fact from given circum- 

 stances which indicate the fact. 

 Three hundred and seventy- 

 eight defectives at Vineland 

 have been tested with the com- 

 plete Binet tests with the fol- 

 lowing results : 



Fig. 12. The Maze Test for Motor 

 Control. Reduced to one half. A device 

 first used at Columbia University for test- 

 ing the ability to trace the white line in 

 a given interval of time. Frequent con- 

 tact with the sides indicates poor motor 

 control. High-grade feeble-minded chil- 

 dren usually make from 60 to 100 con- 

 tacts. The tracing reproduced was made 

 by an epileptic and contains 84 contacts. 



