OF THE INTELLIGENCE OF YOUNG CHILDREN 65 



in the column reserved for that child, and opposite the test 

 names; the results are expressed by the following symbols: 

 The sign + indicates that the test is passed; the sign — indi- 

 cates failure; the sign indicates a silence; the sign ? indi- 

 cates that the result is doubtful; if a doubtful result is nearer 

 failure than success the sign — ? is used; if it is nearer 

 success the sign -|-? When the result is excellent we use 

 -\- ! and when it is altogether bad ! We advise that the sign 

 be recorded immediately after the test is completed, not after 

 the examination upon the reading of the notes. It is easy to 

 understand why we so advise. In recording a symbol we do 

 not register automatically what takes place, but we record 

 a judgment, and this judgment stands a greater chance of 

 being correct when the occurrence is more recent. No matter 

 how detailed the notes, they reproduce but very incompletely 

 the actual experience; an enormous amount of detail is 

 omitted, as a matter of course, to be supplied by the memory 

 of the experimenter ; it would be wrong to trust entirely to the 

 notes. 



Having marked the results of the tests by signs, more 

 extended notes are recorded in the note book. This should 

 contain the full name of the child, his age, date of birth, the 

 date and place of examination, the quality of the assistants 

 and any exceptional circumstances influencing the examina- 

 tion. Often this information is not recorded; later, on 

 referring to the record it cannot be supplied. We advise also 

 keeping a record of the school standing of the child, the 

 number of pupils in his class, the attitude of the child during 

 the examination (natural, heedless, timid, dull, undisciplined, 

 etc.) and finally the social scale of the parents (want, poverty, 

 mediocrity, ease, riches.) If, by chance, some important fact 

 in the history of the child is discovered, record it also. If 

 a little boy of nine coming from a country district has never 

 attended school, this must be noted. 



The notes relative to each test which should be recorded 

 in this book, vary; experience is the best teacher of what is 



