The Science of Human Nature

differ in the color of the hair or eyes, in the shape of the head, or in such details as size and shape of the ear, size and shape of the n

same number of bones, muscles, organs, etc., there are always differences in detail. We are built on th

or frequency surface, which is constructed as follows: Draw a base line A B, and on this line mark off equal distances to represent the various weights. At the left end put the number representing the lightest men and at the right the number representing the heaviest men; the other weights come in between

equency Sur

resents men, the b

f average weight or nearly so, but few people who deviate widely from the average weight. If we measure people with reference to any other

accompanying diagram (Free Association) shows the distribution of a large number of men and women with respect to the speed

uency Surface-

the number of words written in the Free Association test, and the number

ry indicate a high order of attention, of association, of imagination, of learning capacity? Experiments show that mental characteristics have at least some degree of independence. But the rule is that they gen

for a musical person to be of rather poor ability otherwise. To the extent that special abilities require specialized differences in the structure of brain, nervous system, or sense organ, they can exist in s

other activities. It will therefore turn out that at maturity the great differences in mental functions in such a person are in part due to exercise of one function and neglect of others. But there can be no doubt that in many cases there are large original, inherited differences, the individual being poor in one aspect of mind and good in others. Feeble-minded people

ound with practically zero ability in rote memory. At the other extreme, we find mathematical prodigies who, after watching a long freight train pass and noting the numbers of the cars, can repeat correctly the number of each car. Rote memory abilities can be found repr

s of mind. We measure them just as we measured muscular speed as described in the first chapter. Each mental function means ability to do something-to learn, to remember, to form images, to reason, etc. To measure these different capa

e measure of running capacity, we should practice the persons to be measured till each runs up to the limit of his capacity, and then measure each one's speed. The same thing is true, to some extent, when we come to measure mental functions proper. However, the life that children live gives exercise to all fu

nce in such development when compared with a child reared in a home where all the influences are unfavorable. It is difficult to know to what extent this is true, for the hereditary and environmental influences are usually in harmony, the child of good hereditary stock having good environmental influences, and vice versa. When this is not

es that involve several functions. Rote memory is rather simple; it cannot be much affected by training. The memory for ideas is more complex; it can be considerably affected by training. The original and fundamental functions of the mind depend upon the nature of the nervous system which is bequeathed to

make the memory of the one equal to that of the other. In an extreme case, we might find one child whose experience had been such that his logical memory was working up to the limit of its capacity, while the other

d norms follow. The members of the class can use these tests in studying the individual differences in other people. The teach

AL T

l Dire

re must be taken to see that there is no cheating. The work of each child should be his own work. In those tests in which time is an important element, the time must be carefully kept, with a stop watch if one is available. The papers should be distributed for the tests and turned face downward on the pupil's desk. The pupil, when all are ready to begin, should take the paper in his hand an

cal

bering and reproducing ideas. A pupil's standing in the test may serve as an i

gical Memory-

They must not begin to write till after the reading. Ten minutes should be allowed for the reproduction. This is ample time, and each pupil should be told to use the whole time in working on his reproduction. A

ave read the story you are to write down all you can remember of it. You are not to use the exact words that I read unless you wish. You a

des six, seven, and eight, use "A Farmer's Son"; for the high school, use "A Costly

ONES AND

ay | Willie's mother | sent him | to the store | which was only | a short | distance away. | Buster went with him, | following behind. | As Buster was turning | at the corner, | a car | struck him | and broke | one | hind | leg | and

RMER

act, he was brighter | than most | of them. | James, | the wit | of the class, | never lost an opportunity | to ridicule | Will's mistakes, | his bright | red | hair, | and his patched | clothes. | Will | took the ridicule | in good part | and never | lost his temper. | One Saturday | as Will | was driving | his cows | to pasture,

TLY T

day | when this servant was more | stupid | than usual, | the angry | master | of the house

| and had walked off | with the book. | The scientist | thereupon | began to wonder | what book | he had thrown away, | and to his horror

forgotten his loss, | when, strolling | into a secondhand | bookshop, | he saw, |

it | for forty | dollars. | It is a very | rare book, | and I am sure |

replacing | his lost | treasure. | When he reached home, | a card | dropped out | of the leaves. | T

shall mend my ways." | His disposition | afterward | became so | good

gical Memory-"

the norm for an age is meant the average performance of all the pupils of that age examined. Age ten applies to those pupils who have passed their tenth birthday and have not reached their eleventh birthday, and the other ages are to be similarly interpreted. The vertical lines in the graphs indicate birthdays and the scores written on these lines indicate ability at these exact ages. The column marked ten, for example, includes all the children that are over ten and not yet eleven. The graphs show the development from age to age. In gen

e M

cal Memory-"A

for unrelated impressions-words that have no logical relations with one another. Muc

n first, then the abstract. The procedure is to pronounce the first group, cat, tree, coat, and then pause for the pupils to write t

Concrete

ollowing i

them down. I shall then pronounce a group of four words, then one of five words, and so continue with a longer group each time. You must pay ve

r the test are given i

ete A

tree,

ird, ca

e, dress,

head, door,

box, desk,

, bridge, hand,

blac

tall, r

fierce, w

quick, dark,

ard, bright, f

r, wide, rough,

Abstract R

words that are reproduced. No account is taken of whether the words are in the right position or not.

stituti

ility to build up new associations. I

ted to the pupils and turned face down on the des

a letter which is to be used instead of the digit. Below the key are two columns of numbers; each number contains five digits. In the five squares which follow the number you are to write the l

n be done by using other letters instead of those used in the key. Make sure that the pupils understand what

ets. This and the other test material can be obtained

s one point, and reduce the score to speed per minute by dividing by

re shown in

I-Substit

Assoc

The result of the test is a criterion of the quickness of the fl

words that come into their minds. Make it clear to them that they are to write whatever word comes to mind, whether it

e a word, you may write it down and then all the other words that come into your minds. Do

-Free Assoc

e number of words that have been writt

osi

tion of ideas. All thinking is a matter of association of ideas. Reasoning is contro

posites Test-

Use List One in grades three, four, and five, and List Two in grades above. Allow two minutes

e a word that has the opposite meaning. For example, if one word were "far," you could write "ne

of opposites correctly written. T

TES-LI

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d-Build

mely linguistic invention. Specifically, it tests the pupil's

-Word-Bui

n, r, and told to make as many words as possible usi

English words. You must use only the letters which I give you and must not use the same letter more than once in the same w

ils need only she

not violate the rules of the test as given in th

mpleti

omitted. He must read the story, see what it is trying to say, and determine what words, put into the blanks, will make the correct sense. The meaning of the word written

m face down on the desks. Allow ten minutes in

blanks the words that are omitted. The words which you write in must give the proper meaning so that the story rea

y," for grades three, four, and five; "The Trout" for grades, six, s

in Figures XVI, XVII, and XVIII. It will be noticed that the boys excel in the "Trout" story. This i

ion Test-"Joe and

THE FOUR

e were so many kinds he hardly knew which to buy. The clerk knew that it takes a long time to decide, for he had been a boy himself not very long ago. So he helped Joe to select the very best kinds. "When

s and letters are left

ompletion Tes

TR

under the bank with only his head showing. His wide-open eyes shone like jewels. I tried to ca

h in the water and the grasshopper was gone. I did this two or three ti

as silent. The fish was an old one and had grown very wise. I did this day af

LDSMITH'S

medicine is bad to take, but this was s

ed him to go to see her sick husband. "He is very sic

ce that the reason why the man could not eat was because

my house this evening and I will giv

looks like?" "No," said the doctor, "wait until you get home." When she got home, and she and her husband opened the box so that he coul

are able to classify them better. When a child enters school he should be allowed to proceed through the course as fast as his development warrants. Some chi

etion Test-"Dr. Go

obtained from unive

Men

ion Test

y, Concret

y, Abstrac

ociation

Goldsmith's Me

ilding

y, Costly Tem

rfaces-Comparing Fourth

mental age; those at the left, the nu

tors, and should be specially and independently determined by suitable tests. Children may fail in school branches because of being poorly started or started at the wrong time, because of poor teaching, sickness, moving from one school to another, etc.

he fourth grade pupils are found with ability equal to that of some in the high school. Of course to some extent such a condition is unavoidable, for a pupil must establish certain habits and acquire certain knowledge before passing from one grade to another. However, much of the wide variation in ability now found in the same grade of a school could be avoid

functions of the same pupil is especially helpful. It has been pointed out that the different mental functions in the same pupil are sometimes unequally developed. Sometimes considerable differences exist in th

. On the other hand, she can help the brilliant student by preventing him from being satisfied with hastily secured, superficial knowledge, and by encouraging him to make proper use of his unusual powers in go

f a motorman on a street car demands a person having the broad type of attention, the type of attention that enables one to keep in mind many details at the same time. Scientific work demands the type of concentrated attention. As far as it is possible, occupations demanding special types of ability should be filled by people possessing these abilities. It is best for all concerned if each person is doing what he can

s far as possible, in the same classes, so that they can the more easily be given the kind and amount of work that they need. The schools should find the children of unusual special ability, such as ability in drawing, painting, singing, playing musical instruments, mechanical inv

r classes and put into special classes. It is a mistake to try to get them to do the regular school work. They cannot do it, and they only waste the teacher's time and usually give her much trouble. Besides, they waste t

the children of each age. If a child can pass the tests for his age, he is considered normal. If he can pass only the tests three years or more below his age, he is usually considered subnormal. But a child's fate should not depend sol

ts. A knowledge of these differences should aid us in grading, classifying, and teaching children, as well as in the selection of occupation and prof

EXER

nces of the members of the class. The teacher will find in the author's Examination of School Childr

rst chapter can now be repeated and the re

of each student for all the tests. This average rank may be taken as a measure of the intelligence of the students, as far as such can be determined by the tests used. Correlate this ranking with standing in the high sc

n your city, selected at random, would this measure give you an exa

y described in this book, which gives the

e average for each test used. Make these averages all the same by multiplying the low ones and dividing the high ones. Then all the grades of each student can be added. This will give each test the same weigh

he distribution of ability in some grade below the high school.

ity, is it a good thing for you to find it out? If the teacher and students think best, the results of all the various tests need not be made

u find people of only ordinary ability succeed

n some experiments to test physical and mental persistence and endurance. The tapping experiment, for example, might be continued for an hour and the records kept for each minute. Then from the

stence are important factors in li

ion for a person standing high in one menta

te outline of

S FOR CLA

logy, General and A

mination of S

of Educational Psyc

inner's Psycholo