The Binet Tests Applied to Delinquent Girls
- Author:
Margaret Otis, Ph.D.
Resident Psychologist, New Jersey State Home for Girls, Trenton, N. J.
The efficacy of the Binet tests has been proved a number of times in a number of different ways. Their use is being widely extended and of late they are being applied to the study of criminals and delinquents. That a large percentage of delinquents of both sexes are defective is well known. The problem of what to do with the defective delinquents is before the public now as never before. The scientific study of this class has been started in a number of institutions, and if psychology can help in throwing light on this important subject, it will have proved beyond question its great usefulness to the world. Such study has recently been begun in the New Jersey State Home for Girls.
A preliminary testing of the girls with the Binet tests shows interesting results, and corroborates the results obtained in other institutions. One hundred and seventy-two girls of the institution were examined. These were white girls with only two exceptions, and not many of the smaller girls were included. The average age of the girls examined is 17, the ages being distributed as follows: age 20?19; age 19?14; age 18?32; age 17?32; age 16?26; age 15?19; age 14?18; age 13?5; age 12?5; age 10?2. From the results of the testing a three-fold classification seemed advisable. Not many of the girls could answer all the questions, and the scale being standardized for twelve years only, those who stand between eleven and twelve have been considered as practically normal, while those who stand below ten mentally by this scale are classified as without doubt defective, for if a girl of the ages given above cannot pass more than the nine-year-old tests, it is fair to assume mental defect. This defect is further corroborated by other tests and by investigation of the heredity. For convenience those who attain the mental age of ten, but fail to reach eleven are classified as high-grade morons.
These girls of ten-year-old mentality show themselves surprisingly true to the moron type established and described in other places. They are very capable when working under direction and can be trained to be good servants, but fail lamentably to establish themselves in a good way of living if left to themselves. They lack initiative and need care to protect them from the temptations to which they are subject when they go out into the world. The classification of the girls tested is as follows: Class I Defective 77 45 per cent Class II Morons 52 30 ” ” Class III Presumably normal 43 25 ” ” Total number tested 172 A further study of the results of the testing produces interesting information as to the mental status of the girls. The number of correct answers to each question has been tabulated, and the percentage estimated, not only for the whole group, but for each one of the three classes.
That the percentages show a regular increase from class I to class III is an indication of the accuracy of the scale. The only questions where a rising value is not found is the unimportant change in IX-3 of 71?96?95. This matter of knowing the date is more a test of general information than of mental capacity, so that it is not surprising that there is no marked difference in this matter between class II and class III. Also in the case of XII-4, the figures 38?62?61 show that there is not much difference between the ten and eleven year old mentally in the matter of resisting suggestion. It may be that this ability of mind is not confined to a certain age. Other than these two cases there is a regular increase in the percentage of correct answers from class I to class III. The most difficult tests for all the girls examined, as shown by the low percentage of correct answers, are the following: VII-2 description of pictures (action); VIII-2 counting backward 20?1; IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 drawing design from memory; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-3 repetition of sentence. The most difficult for the girls of class I are as follows: VII-2 description of pictures (action); VIII-2 counting backward 20?1; IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 drawing design from memory; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-2 definitions of abstract words; XII-3 repetition of sentence.
The most difficult for the girls of class II are as follows: VII-2 description of pictures (action); IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 drawing design from memory; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-2 definitions of abstract words; XII-3 repetition of sentence. .
TABLE I Percentage of correct answers Binet question. Class I Class II Class III All together VI-1 91 100 … 93 2 100 100 100 100 3 94 100 … 95 4 100 100 … 100 5 100 100 … 100 VII-1 100 100 … 100 2 86 86 100 87 3 98 100 … 98 4 91 100 100 94 5 100 100 … 100 VIII-1 88 100 100 93 2 73 94 100 81 3 95 100 100 96 4 86 94 100 88 5 84 98 100 92 1X-1 66 87 100 71 2 23 52 90 45 3 71 96 95 83 4 83 96 100 89 5 ‘.29 68 85 51 X-l 64 98 100 83 2 14 28 57 28 3 67 90 100 83 4 37 85 97 66 5 28 83 93 61 XI-1 25 60 88 51 2 13 53 66 38 3 25 68 83 53 4 23 51 78 45 5 0 9 61 18 XII-1 36 62 85 58 2 5 36 73 45 3 0 7 15 6 4 38 62 61 52 5. .18 42 73 41
The most difficult for the girls of class III are the following: IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 drawing design from memory; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-3 repetition of sentence; XII-4 resisting suggestion. On the other hand, the easiest tests to answer for each group, as shown by the high percentage of correct answers, are as follows: The easiest for all the girls together: VII-1 counting thirteen pennies; VII-5 recognition of color; VIII-3 repeating days of week; IX-4 repeating months of year; X-l knowledge of money; X-3 comprehension of situations. The easiest for class I are: VIII-3 repeating days of the week; IX-4 repeating months of the year; X-l knowledge of money; X-3 repeating figures. Class II, IX-4 repeating months of the year; IX-3 knowledge of the date; X-l knowledge of money; X-3 repeating figures; X-4 comprehension of situations. Class III, IX-1 making change; IX-4 repeating months of the year; X-l knowledge of money; X-3 repeating figures; X-4 comprehension of situations; XI-1 seeing absurdity; XII-1 repeating figures.
A study of what questions are easy for the girls to answer, and of what are hard, in this way, reveals the fact that they are lamentably deficient in the tests involving the use of language; but stand better in the number tests and those involving general information. The tests may be roughly classified into the following groups: (1) Those involving the use of words or language. These are: VI-2, VII-2, VIII-1, IX-2, X-5, XI-2, XI-3, XI-4, XI-5, XII-2, XII-3. (2) Those involving the use of numbers. These are: VII-1, VIII-2, VIII-4, VIII-5, IX-1, X-3, XII-1. (3) Those involving comprehension or some reasoning ability, viz. X-4, XI-1, XII-5. (4) Those that involve general information, such as one living in a normal environment naturally acquires. These are: VII-3, IX-3, IX-4, X-l. Arranging the percentages of correct answers of the total number of girls examined under these heads, we obtain,? (1) 87, 93, 45, 61, 38, 53, 45,18, 53. (2) 81, 88, 92, 71, 83, 58. (3) 66, 51, 41. (4) 96, 83, 89, 83. We have omitted from this arrangement the perceptibly easy where there are all 100’s, and the extremely difficult one among the language tests, that is, XII-3. The latter is recognized as too difficult a test by all who have used the scale, and so perhaps it is not fair to take it into account. We can see that the percentages for the language tests are notably lower than those in the other groups. Averaging the figures given above, we have for the language group a general average of 54.7, for the number group 78.8, for the comprehension group 52.6, and for the general information 87.7.
The fact that the girls stand highest on the general information tests and those involving the use of figures, but fall lowest on tests involving the use of language may further be shown by a study of the percentile curves for the different groups.
Curve I. This is for all the girls examined, a total of 172. We see here the first important dip is at VII-2 description of pictures. The second dip is at VIII-2 counting backward. Then follow dips at IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2, design; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-3 repeating sentence. Curve II. This is for the normal girls of class III. The dips occur at IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 design; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-3 repeating sentence.
Curve III. This is for the moron group of class II. The dips here occur at VII-2 description of pictures (action); IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 design; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-3 repeating sentence. Curve IV. This is for the defective group of class I. The dips occur at VII-2 description of pictures; VIII-2 counting backward; IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 design; XI-2 sentence; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-2 definitions of abstract words; XII-3 repeating sentence. The big dips are of course more significant than the small dips. These are notably, IX-2 definitions better than use; IX-5 arranging weights; X-2 design; XI-5 dissected sentences; XII-3 repeating sentence.
But some of these tests have also been found difficult for normal children, for instance the design in X-2. Likewise the sentence in XII-3, as has already been stated, is too difficult for those of twelve year old intelligence. The reason why so many of our girls fail on the arranging weights is no doubt due to the fact that most of the girls are over twelve years of age. It is admitted by all that this test is easier for children than for adults, for the reason that the child has fewer standards of comparison, while the adult is more apt to waver in his judgment owing to the greater number of comparisons that enter his mind causing confusion. This point is further corroborated by Katzenellenbogen’s testing of epileptics where he finds the same thing to be true.* Thus the fact that this test has a low percentage of correct answers is perhaps not particularly significant as regards the mental status of the girls. On the other hand however, that so many of the language tests are difficult for them is very significant, and this deficiency is further corroborated by the work that they do in school, and by the testimony of the officers *KatzgngUenbogen- Critical Essay on Mental Tests in their relation to Epilepsy, p. 17.
CURVE I. loots _ _ 13 _ ?# _ 7J _ 10 _ IS _ 40 _ 55 5# ? ?5_ *0 35 _ JO _ w_ 10 _ ?5 10 _ 5 _ ] I I I [ L_ I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I?L_L_L_1?l_L_i a g @ a w pi a PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. TOTAL NUMBER OF GIRLS EXAMINED 172. PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. TOTAL NUMBER OF GIRLS EXAMINED 172. CURVE II. lNr s I 1 1 ‘ I 1 I I I I ‘ I 1 ‘ I I I I I 1 I I ‘ I I I 1 1 I ‘ I I I I I a g 0 a w a 8 PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. GIRLS IN CLASS III, MENTAL AGE 11-12. TOTAL NUMBER 43. CURVE II. PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. GIRLS IN CLASS III, MENTAL AGE 11-12. TOTAL NUMBER 43. BINET TESTS OF DELINQUENT GIRLS. 133 CURVE III. I 1 I i i ‘ I I i ‘ I ‘’ I 1 I I ‘ I I ‘ I I I i 1 I i ‘ I i i I I i a a B M H tt U PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. GIRLS IN CLASS II, MENTAL AGE 10. TOTAL NUMBER 52. CURVE III. PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. GIRLS IN CLASS II, MENTAL AGE 10. TOTAL NUMBER 52. CURVE IV. ?I?!?I i I?1_L_L?1?1 I I 1 1 I?I?1?I?I?I?I?I?I?I?I?I?1?I?I?M?I L^L_L_| 0 S B M H ?l 5 PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. GIRLS IN CLASS I, MENTAL AGE 7-9. TOTAL NUMBER 77. CURVE IV. PERCENTAGE OF CORRECT ANSWERS. GIRLS IN CLASS I, MENTAL AGE 7-9. TOTAL NUMBER 77. 134 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. who have them in charge. The girls come from a class in society where fluency in language is not a pronounced characteristic. They have had no training in expressing thought either at home or at school, for in examining the question of school training we find that most of the girls have had little or none. The average age of the girls examined, as has been stated, is 17, while the average age at which they leave school is 13. The distribution of the latter is as follows: 17?1, 16?6, 15?11, 14?34, 13?26, 12?16, 11?10, 10?5, 8?1. The average grade of school work reached is the fourth. The distribution here is: 8th?4, 7th?13, 6th?14, 5th?23, 4th?41, 3rd?37, 2nd?11, 1st?9. Four girls of the total number reached high school, while seven had no schooling whatever. Fifty-seven left school before reaching the age of fourteen.
With such limited school training, it is no wonder that the girls lack the ability to express themselves, and show themselves deficient in the language tests, for the ability to use language depends more than any other on training, whether at school or at home. This is not to be understood as destructive criticism of the Binet tests. The tests are very valuable when rightly understood. Yet these tests alone do not tell all we wish to know about delinquent girls. The initial step only has been taken in this work. We can only say that as far as the tests have been applied, an alarming state of affairs is revealed in the fact that such a large percentage of the population is unable to take care of itself, with the likelihood or rather certainty that the stock of defectiveness and illiteracy is on the increase.
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