Moral Imbecility from a Respectable Family
- Author:
Margaret Otis, Ph.D.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
The term moral imbecile, used in contradistinction to mental defective, indicates that the individual in question is bright in most respects, but is incapable of appreciating moral standards as ordinarily accepted. The question whether there are moral imbeciles according to this definition is debatable. The difficulty is that moral standards are constantly changing, different races and different nationalities have varying standards, and the various social classes at present existing have standards which are not compatible with one other. In addition to this difficulty comes in the time-worn argument as to whether the moral sense is acquired or inherited. Is the appreciation of the difference between right and wrong a unit character which can be handed down from generation to generation according to the Mendelian law?
It seems unfair to take as an example of a moral imbecile one of the type usually selected. The social standing of the parents is important in this regard and also the early environment. Are not most of those ordinarily classed as moral imbeciles such because of environment? A case should be selected where the social standing of the parents is good and the environment cannot be questioned. Then the mental capacity of the individual must be tested carefully so that it is perfectly clear that defect of moral view-point only is involved. It might be noted in passing that most delinquent girls have faulty environment, so that it is difficult to find from this field a case for consideration under this head. The following case, however, presents some features which would justify such a classification, and is submitted for consideration as possibly a true moral imbecile. Nell Lewis was the child of respectable parents who lived in a town in the northern part of New Jersey. The environment of the home was that of the average middle-class household. The father was industrious, the mother had aspirations for an intellectual life for Nell and wished her to go to college. Every advantage that would conduce to this purpose was given the girl. Physically Nell was remarkably well developed. She was born at full term and was a very lively baby and exceptionally well, but was always headstrong and very stubborn. She was deceitful, seemed restless, and would never settle down to anything. Her mother said that she always wanted to be “bigger than anybody else” but did not inherit this characteristic from anyone in the family.
Mentally Nell appeared to be perfectly normal. On the Binet testing she missed but two questions, one the long sentence in the XII group, the other the rhymes in the XI group. Her associations were logical, and she did well on other tests. She had had a fair education, had gone through the second year of high school, had studied in a business college, and had been a stenographer for a year and a half. Morally Nell was undoubtedly defective. The tendency to deceive her mother seemed to be the starting point of her criminal career. She was committed to a Home for Delinquent Girls on the charge of larceny. She had been guilty of larceny on two or three different occasions. She was suffering with venereal disease, and had been in a private institution in New York City. All her wrong doings were done secretly. Her troubles seem to have begun when she was a small school girl. It seemed impossible for Nell to speak the truth. She would invent a long story, later would say that her conscience troubled her and that she wished to tell just how the event actually occurred, but what she told on the second occasion was no more the truth than what she told on the first. Nell was never trusted out of the Home all the time that she was under state care. She was in all the mischief that she could well be during this time, and was among the foremost in having love affairs with the colored girls. It was learned from one of Nell’s friends that she had once told her that she had “killed a fellow.” He was an Italian and Nell had shot him and covered him with leaves. She had escaped to town and had gone to a nursing school. She supposed she would go to State’s Prison, but her mother pleaded for her to have her sent to the Girls’ Home instead. This report of Nell’s having committed murder was learned from another source, for another Home girl had made the statement that there was a rumor among the girls to the effect that Nell had killed a man. This was probably mere bravado, and was due to Nell’s love of the sensational and desire to pose as a heroine in the eyes of the girls.
An effort was made to find out from Nell her own interpretation of her moral delinquency. She was asked what was the reason for her first lapse from right conduct. She said she thought it was a lark, also that when she went to Sundaj’ School, she went to look at the boys and to show her clothes. There was a musician there who played the flute. She hung upon him and went around to the rehearsals. She never had any compunction as to her wrong doing. She never gave it a thought, thought it was smart. In dancing she thought of the prize she was going to get. She used to wonder if her father was following her up. She did all her wrong doing without the knowledge of her father and mother. Her mother was hard of hearing, so that made it easier for her to get out nights. She used to get out of the window and slide down a pole. She used to go in swimming, and went with an expert swimmer. She became sunburned, and her mother asked her what was the matter. She said: “When I was working lime blew in my eyes.” At one time she had had friends who were good girls, but later she preferred the “fast set” rather than the “goody-goods”. When asked if she was ever under her mother’s influence, she said: “No, if she ever started preaching to me, I got out.” Nell said that she used to get medals as prizes for dancing. She sold them and gave the money to young men. One of them wrote to her and her mother opened the letter when she was away. Nell was supporting this man by money she earned getting prizes. He was a gambler. When asked how she felt in regard to this way of living, she said that then she thought just about having a good old time, she wanted to be popular with the bunch.
As an experiment Nell was given some moral instruction to see if she might be capable of benefiting thereby. In any discussion it was not easy for Nell’s mind to get beyond the concrete. It may be suggested at this point that this characteristic indicates a certain mental defect. A certain level of intelligence is required for the appreciation of abstract truth, and this level Nell did not reach. The difference between subjective and objective was explained to her and at times she seemed to understand this, though often with this and other things it was more a matter of verbal memory. She could remember well the explanations that were given her.
The following association test was given with the purpose of bringing out the trend of her mind. A paper was given Nell on which was written a list of words with the instruction that she should write down the very first thought that came into her mind on seeing the word. She seemed to carry out this instruction conscientiously, thinking that it was intended as an examination of her school knowledge. The words and responses were as follows: Interest I thought of my lesson of interest and discount when I was studying bookkeeping. Curiosity To know whether certain things I heard about my going out were true.
Passive I thought about the meaning of this word right after reading the word. Quiet, a person can be passive, don’t race around. Knowledge I was thinking if I could have more knowledge than I have about my inner soul. Truth I thought of the thought you gave me about truth. Excitement I thought of how excited I was when I was told I could go to the car to meet the Superintendent. Desire .Of the time I would be a nurse. Honesty Honesty is the best policy. Success Wondering if my nursing would be a success. I am always thinking of nursing. Wilfulness I try to be very wilful. I was just wondering if I were as wilful as I might be. Love I have been trying to put my love on thoughts of the sewing I would have to do when I leave here. Mechanical My first thought was of a mechanic. Then I thought of a friend I had who was one. Criminal UI never was a criminal” was my first thought. Hope I hope to be a good woman some day. Instantaneous Instantaneous means anything said or done right on the dot. Beauty Beauty means anything that’s pretty to the eye. At another time the same experiment was tried with the following responses. What is especially to be noted in these responses is the constant reference to self. This indicates an extremely self-centered individual, and such an inference is certainly justified in this case. The same instruction was given as in the experiment above. Riches I thought first about some people I know by the name of Rich. Pleasure I was thinking of how I thought out “subjective and objective pleasures.” Mischief My first thought was about all the mischief I have been in. Jealousy My first thought was about what the minister said one Sunday: “Jealousy leads to murder.” Meanness Some people are very mean. Self-consciousness. .My self-consciousness has proved itself. Vigor I have lots of vigor. Deceitfulness I am not deceitful. Monstrosity The word puzzled me at first. Egoism I had this word in class. Pride I take lots of pride in trying to keep myself looking neat. MORAL IMBECILITY. 55 Ignorance I am not ignorant. Hatred I have noticed the hatred of many people. Buoyant I am very buoj^ant.
It is interesting to note that some of the responses in this association test could be used as an indication that there might be some truth in the rumor current in the Home as to Nell’s criminal career. As to the question suggested above of considering this girl a moral imbecile, it may be urged that the lack was in the mother who failed early to get control of the child. A strong personality in the mother, perhaps, would have been able to cope with the strong-willed child. Yet, after all, Nell chose her own. She had the opportunity of associating with the best, was even urged and pushed toward what is regarded as the highest type of life. Yet with all that, though the best was placed before her, she preferred the worst. Like attracts like. She gravitated to her kind, and her kind apparently were not the kind of her parents.
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