70 A METHOD OF MEASURING THE DEVELOPMENT 



his retardation of intelligence amounts to more than two 

 years. 



Remarks : — The researches which have enabled us to cal- 

 culate our norms, were made in those primary schools of 

 Paris which are situated in the poorer disticts. Experience 

 has demonstrated that the children of persons in easy circum- 

 stances present in general a higher intellectual development 

 than that expressed by our means. Thus, in a private school, 

 frequented by the bourgeoisie, and where the classes con- 

 sist of from 8 to 10 pupils, the pupils show a mean one 

 and one-half years in advance of our normal means. It is 

 important to add that our examinations have been made but 

 once, and by a stranger, who, without intimidating the child, 

 inspired him with a certain deference. Other results would 

 be obtained if the examination were repeated several times 

 or if it were conducted by a person too well known to the 

 child to produce a deferential attitude, etc., briefly, if the 

 very precise conditions which we have indicated, were ignored. 



If a child is to be examined the second time, it is best to 

 allow a period of at least 6 months to intervene between the 

 examinations, and to guard against the coaching of the child 

 by his companions. 



A last word for those persons who desire to employ the 

 method. Any one can use it for his own personal satisfaction 

 or to obtain an approximate evaluation of a child's intelli- 

 gence; but for the results of this method to have a scientific 

 value, it is absolutely necessary that the individual who uses 

 it should have served an apprenticeship in a laboratory of 

 pedagogy or possess a thorough practical knowledge of 

 psychological experimentation. 



