372 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIEA'CE. 



(Amended) Instructions to the Recorders. 



Mental characters are named, numbered, and briefly defined in this 

 Schedule. 



The accompanying card bears a con-esponding number of numbered 

 spaces. 



Tlie Recorder should put the name of one subject (child. Sic.) at the 

 head of each card, and write in the space opposite each number one of 

 the letters A, B, C, D, or F. 



These letters imply the following opinion on the part of the observer 

 in respect to the mental characters of corresponding numbers : — 



A. High degree of development, intensity, or strength of the character 

 in cjuestion. 



Ji. A degree of development distinctly above tlie average. 



C. An average degree of development. 



D. Degree of development distinctly below the average. 



E. A- marked deficiency of the character in question. 



An average degree of development is to be taken to mean such as 

 would be exhibited by about 50 per cent, of any large number of normal 

 persons of tiio same age, race, and class, this 50 per cent, group being 

 made up of those who in respect to this character are nearest the mean. 



Classes U and I) should contain about 20 per cent, each of any large 

 number of normal subjects. 



Classes A and B about 5 per cent. each. 



The Recorder should fill in on each subject's card only those 

 characters in regard to which he feels able to express a contident opinion, 

 and should leave all other spaces blank. 



It is suggested that the following procedure should be adopted when- 

 ever possible, especially by those reporting on school-children : A table 

 of thirty-four columns, numbered according to the list of characters, 

 should be made on a large sheet of paper, and under each number the 

 individuals of the group observed should be entered in the order of 

 development of the corresponding character (those considered equal 

 being bracketed together). This should be regarded as a first rough 

 approximation only. From time to time the observer should go over his 

 table, amending the order of names in each column in the light of his 

 later observations. If this process were repeated once a month or 

 oftener tbroughout a yeai-'s intercourse with the group of individuals 

 reported upon, it is probable that the final arrangement of each column 

 would represent a great refinement, upon tne order first given. 



The words in popular usage by which mental characters are described are 

 in many cases of a negative character. In the following list such wcrds 

 have bten avoided and positive characters only are named ; e.g., laziness 

 does not appear, because a high degree of laziness is the same character 

 as a low degree of industriousness, and may be expressed by putting the 

 lebrer B after the corresponding number on the card. 



Many of the words in popular usage express characters which are 

 extremely complt='x resultants of a number of more elementary characters 

 (« y. intHilige. ce) ; su. h wonls h iv.- been av -ided as far as possible, and 

 the c aracters named below have been chosen as being relatively simple 

 and elementary. 



