The Mentality of Some Freaks of Nature
By Gladys G. Tallman, A.M., Columbia University.
Recently there was an opportunity given to test a group of so called “Freaks of Nature.” Seven in all, they were tested under the best conditions available. The work had to be done in a large room on two sides of which were caged animals, giraffes, deer, etc. There was no corner where seclusion was possible. Interruptions were frequent and unavoidable. However, as the subjects are quite at ease when observed, they were in all probability not as much disturbed as the examiner. A brief description of the subjects, tests used, and the results follow.
Subject A.
Male?colored?about 60 years of age, shown as a wild man. He was microcephalic, but it was impossible to measure his head as he would not submit to it. Before he would sit down to the test at all, he took the examiner by the hand and led her up to a case where two little chickens were crowded together in one corner. He pointed, said “Chicks?” in a most inquiring tone, and was told “Yes, they are chicks. They want to get out?don’t they?” At this instant another Freak came up, whereupon A turned to him and said distinctly, “Say, they want to get out?don’t they?” He was then led back to the table and given the Witmer Formboard. This board was used because the forms were of good size for the midgets to handle. A looked at the board and turned his back. He left the table, got a large cigar, lighted it and came back. He took up the circle, tried to force it into all the openings. When it finally fitted into its proper place he was very much excited and began pounding it in further. Pie tried every block in this manner, often removing one that was correct to try another. At the end of nine minutes and twenty-two seconds he had the circle, square, semi-circle, and rectangle in place. At this time he shoved the board away from him, began puffing at his cigar, got up and walked away.
Subject B.
Born in Sicily?male?23 years of age.
Height about 23 inches. Circumference of head 183^ inches. B has never been to school; stopped work with a private tutor because “I could not learn good.” He reads little, but can write his name fairly well. He has a bright, alert face and is very active.
He did the following tests:?Witmer Formboard in 22 seconds, Knox Imbecile Board in 77.8 seconds and Knox Moron Board in 89.4 seconds. He tried this last a second time and could not succeed in doing it at all. On the Binet test, Goddard revision, B has a mental age of 7.6. His basal age is 6 years. He is unable to copy the diamond, which does not depend on education. His comparisons of butterfly and fly, etc., were very good. He is able to make correct change. He understood the first series of comprehensions but failed utterly on the second series. He resisted the suggestions as to length of lines among the 12 year tests. His definitions were, Charity?poor people.
Justice?don’t know what it is. Goodness?mild.
Throughout the test B was very much excited, wanted to do well and paid good attention. Twice there were interruptions. At both times B waved a majestic arm at the would-be audience and said m a commanding voice “Now go away, can’t you see I am busy?”
Subject C.
Female?colored?age 23 years. Height about 23 inches. Circumference of head, including a good deal of hair, 20 inches. C cannot read or write beyond her name. She did the Witmer Fornlboard in 34.6 seconds and refused to try the Knox boards. On the Binet scale her basal age was 7 and her mental age 7.4. Beyond her basal age she gave good comparisons and named the days of the week. Throughout the tests her attitude was decidedly servile, with a forced politeness. She was interested in a passive manner. She showed real interest in the pictures. She became very suspicious when asked to allow her head to be measured?ran away but finally came back and in a very scared way stood quietly to be measured.
Subject D.
Born in France?age 19 years?female. Height 28 inches. Circumference of head plus hair, twisted in the way, 19 inches. D has had very little education. Can write name. She performed the Witmer Formboard in 21.4 seconds, Knox Imbecile in ^9.8 seconds and the Knox Moron in 29.4 seconds. This last on a second trial she failed to finish. On the Binet scale D measures 8-0, with basal age at 6. Her memory span is normal for a twelve year old child. She did well on the comprehensions. She was unable to copy the diamond. D was very shy at first but overcame and was most attentive.
Subject E. (Tested by Alice E. Paulsen, A.M.) Male?18 years old. Excessively fat, weighs over 350 lbs. Says he finished school. Works in munition factory when not with Freaks. E was tested with the Binet only, taking the test more or less as a joke. His basal age was 8 and he measured 10.0. He failed on all 12 year questions, also on the weight test, visual memory, absurdities, rhymes, and dissected sentences. His free associations or 60 words in 3 minutes were most suggestive. He started and named all the places where he had been on exhibition, then he began naming foods, such as “sugar, lard, butter, salt, mustard, etc.” His definition of “justice” gave the same idea, i. e. “done justice to a meal, you get enough to eat, there is plenty there for you.” E “would do more tests to oblige” the examiner, but “really, would rather not do them.”
Subject F. (Tested by Alice E Paulsen, A.M.) Female?adult?over 50 years?colored. Height 7 feet 6 inches. She tested above the Binet but failed to copy designs and compose sentences using three words. Gave but 48 words in 3 minutes. “She was slow and shiftless in her responses. Comprehension and judgment were normal but ingenuity was rather subnormal.”
Subject G.
Adult?male. Height 8 feet 2 inches (exhibition height). G is a vaudeville actor. He writes allegorical plays, words and music; is above the average adult along these lines. His features suggest acromegaly, but G says this is a disputed question for several physicians. He was tested on the Woodworth directions tests and cancellation A test. His reaction times are as follows:?
Cancellation A 2 min. 46.2 sec. with no errors. Easy Directions 1 ” 55.2 ” ” 4 ” Hard ” 3 ” 10 ” “5 ” All these are rather slow, but there is some doubt as to whether they should be recorded at all as the man was just recovering from an attack of pleurisy and was so weak that perspiration stood out on his forehead as he worked. However, as he was most anxious to be tested the records stand. If G is acromegalic there is a good possibility that the disease would account for some slowness. In summing up the subjects tested, A is undoubtedly a microcephalic idiot; B, C and D are to be estimated as middle grade imbeciles; whether they are cases of Endemic Cretinism or Infantilism cannot be stated, as physical examinations were impossible. E in all probability is a moron. F is about normal but shiftless. G is undoubtedly of normal mentality. Taken from an economic view point they are all earning more than the normal adult could earn with the same amount of education. The largest amount earned by any one of these seven is $125.00 a week.
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