An Analytical Study of the Intellingence of a Group of Adolescent Delinquent Girls
- Author:
Anna Spiesman Starr, M.A., /
Graduate Student, University of Pennsylvania. ^ Part i. Delinquency as I See It.
With the development and socialization of Misdemeanants Courts, the problem of girl delinquency has been a major consideration. Much has been done in the development of case work technique, of educating’the public to realize its share of responsibility before it condemns and of bringing all the knowledge of specialists to focus upon the individual problem before judgment is made. In place of the arrest and speedy conviction in the Magistrate’s Court of a few years ago, each case now has the benefit of all the efficient treatment that the modern court can give her; the burden of effort being one of adjustment rather than punishment. Whatever has been learned by such methods, is applicable to the general problem of delinquency and what has become evident in other fields may be of service here. The technique of case work in itself stands justified and established, the problem now is rather the “why” and the “how” of delinquency.
The present study is based upon a series of psychological examinations of adolescent “women offenders” detained at the Municipal Court. The tests used were those already standardized?the Witmer Cylinder test, Memory span, Block test, Reading, the Fundamental arithmetical processes, and the Dearborn Formboard. Each test was given with the idea of its contributing to a qualitative diagnosis rather than measuring conformity with already established forms. The description and the results of each test with their correlations are treated in the second part of this report.
Gross classifications of the causes of delinquency have been made long ago and still remain debated. The supporters of each claim a panacea for good citizenship if “only the environment” or “only the heredity” or “the wages” were adequately established. It must be realized, however, that rather than being a simple phenomenon arising from a single cause, delinquency is a synthesis? the resultant of many contributing factors. It is the subtle and * Adapted from a report presented to the Hon. Charles L. Brown, Judge of th? Municipal Court of Philadelphia. (143) 144 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. intricate reactions of such a complexity that baffle us. The possibilities of various combinations of etiological factors are as numerous as the individuals themselves. When any individual is so badly handicapped as to be a social invalid or cripple, society accepts him as such and provides for him. The work of the court in its province of probation deals rather with the vast group whose aggregate of mental, physical and social endowments is so near the point of instability that failure in any single factor to function at its maximum proficiency in the adjustment of a definite situation, will so tip the balance that the individual finds himself in the class of non-conformity or even dependency, wondering how he got there. Probation has essentially a preventative policy, it is not all salvaging. It must prevent the tipping as well as re-establish the balance. In order to deal effectively with such a complexity as the adolescent girl tending toward delinquency or having already arrived there, Probation Officers must know in each case, the assets which are to be pitted against the deficiencies. Just here is where psychology has the opportunity to make a necessary and a tremendous contribution. To the psychologist has come the duty of stating specific items about each case which will assure the Probation Officer that all the girl’s competencies, her assets, as well as deficiencies are noted and a tentative prognosis made, giving an index of their quality as well as quantity. It is ineffective, wasteful, for any Probation Officer to work with a case trying to do the impossible. No task should be set to the girl for which she has not the competency. The inevitable failure disheartens both the probationer and the officer. If Mary has a poor memory, as shown by tests, it should be known and Mary should not be sent to work at the switch board no matter how much she wants to go; no matter what soical prestige such a position would give her. If in Jane’s mediocre equipment a specific ability is found, we owe it to her and to society to find useful expression for it. The consciousness that a job calls for a specific ability arouses pride in anyone who can hold that job. All of us are more efficient feeling we have found our niche. The floater in industry is the niche seeker. At present the psychologist cannot place everyone, but he can place some, and he can tell where others should not go. The Psychological Clinician’s field is more than giving tests and compiling statistics; even now it is possible to determine the individual’s mental status, the possibilities of his intellectual development and the approximate range of possible occupations. These contributions become more important when we consider feeblemindedness as a social status. Whoever cannot manage his A STUDY OF DELINQUENT GIRLS. 145 personal affairs, with ordinary prudence, due to a lack of mental development, is, according to English law, feebleminded. Here in our own country, in practice at least, social conformity and economic independence figure very largely when the mental defective appears before the Jury for a possible commitment. If normality so much depends upon maintaining one’s self on a fairly sound economic basis in a way not objectionable to one’s own neighbors, taking inventory of every possible contribution thereto is imperative. The state rightfully cares for the obviously defective; their care is assured. It is the doubtful, the partially handicapped individuals, who form the bulk of probationers. With these we must realize the psychological fact that one’s competencies may deteriorate through disuse though we can not add to them.
The theory that mental retardation or feeblemindedness is the invariable cause of incorrigibility is untenable. Who does not know the intelligent incorrigible? Intelligence seems to be a factor determining the kind of delinquency indulged in, rather than determining to be or not to be delinquent. Furthermore, in comparing the proficiency levels made by the group of Court Cases with those made with the same tests by a group of High School Freshman and a group of Continuation School, girls?all of about the same age?the Court Cases in each instance fell below the standard of the regular Freshman and above that of the Continuation School group. To be sure mental equipment largely determines at which level the delinquent operates, and comparatively few cases found at court are above the lower limits of accepted normality, but if we use court statistics or those compiled at Reformatories are we not judging from a selected group? Are not the Court Cases the unsuccessful delinquents, the ones apprehended? How about the successful one? The idea that delinquency means only unsuccessful behavior is erroneous, and we must study and learn from the successful delinquent before we really understand those apprehended. Just because the clever thief secures and retains his booty, does not justify his theft. He is still a thief. So with the delinquencies of the adolescent girl whether or not she escapes detection.
The social background of these 300 cases studied presented no peculiar characteristics?the picture is typical of an unselected group ?f young women offenders as they come one by one to be under the jurisdiction of the court. They were all between 16 and 25 years of agej more than half were 18 years or under. The mode was 16, 17, 18 years; the mean 18.7 years; the median 18 years. Practically all had begun school at 6 years of age; a few had started later and by far the great majority had completed the 6th grade. About one146 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. third of them claimed to have reached the 8th grade and 16 to have entered High School?a few had attended no school.
A detailed tabulation made in 200 cases of the birthplace of the delinquent and of both her parents showed that the large majority of cases were native born, but very often of foreign parentage. In this particular group, about one-half (48.5 per cent) have American born fathers and mothers. This is somewhat higher than is usually expected. As a side light on the economic status of the families represented, I inquired as to the number of children in each family to see how many might be dependent upon the father’s wage. Not all of the children in every case shared the family budget for some had married and left home. The maximum number of children in any of the 200 families was 16; the minimum 1; the mode 4; the average 5.4 children.
Leaving school at 14 or 15 years, and entering industry for the most part at 15 and 16 years, the majority of girls were employed in mills and factories or as domestics. Of 200 cases, 8| per cent started to work in department stores; 46 per cent in mills and factories; 26 per cent as domestics; 6| per cent in clerical positions; 3 per cent as telephone operators and 10 per cent in miscellaneous jobs. The range of the industrial picture fits in with that of the school. Inquiry was made in regard to present position and the result shows that the mills, factories and housework still retain the greatest numbers.
If we put these social data together, we have as a picture, an American girl about eighteen years old?perhaps of foreign parentage?one of a family of four or five children. She started to school at 6, attended until she was 15 and had only reached the 6th grade. After leaving school, she had begun to work at a mill or at housework, and now somehow, she had gotten into difficulty and had come into the hands of the court. Surely in such a picture we find no flagrant discrepancies or bad fortune. Plenty of girls who never come to court share these same characteristics. Here it is that the persistent “Why” of delinquency arises. It is easy enough to explain in the cases which do not fit such a high level, but if the majority of girls who have come to court are of this type or better, an analytical diagnosis of each individual must be made.
Part ii. Tests, their Results and Correlations. In making this psychological study and in giving the tests, I was not primarily interested in detecting the decidedly feebleminded cases, for that was being done by the regular staff of the department. Moreover former investigation of a similar group had taught me that there are a very few “committable cases,” a slightly larger group of “perfectly normal” ones and that the great percentage are they who may or may not be able to maintain themselves adequately, depending largely upon external circumstances. As long as the “Fates were good,” they remained above the line of social sufficiency, but quickly fell below with adverse circumstances. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine: (1) if most of this group are deficient in the same specific competencies; (2) if so, which are the deficient competencies and (3) whether or not the lack of these specific competencies is reflected in the general behavior; (4) also, of how much value to the Probation Officer’s problem of restoration is the information gained by such analytical examination. The tests given were chosen for two reasons.
1. Each must be of a sufficiently low performance level to insure the majority of cases being able to pass them. Special attention to be paid to the extent of improvement through repetition rather than simply comparing the time element with already standardized norms. 2. Taken together, the tests must be such as would measure each specific competency as classified by Dr Witmer.
The tests were given in about the same order and under as favorable conditions as possible. No girl was urged to co-operate against her will, though encouragement and praise were freely given during each examination. Their co-operation was splendid, and in several cases a rivalry as to efficiency in performances would prompt one to ask, “Did Jennie beat me in this one?”
In scoring the results both the time element and the quality of the performance were considered. For the most part, the rating was that of the five-point system, one indicating failure, three a nediocre type of performance and five the maximum possibility, two rating between one and three, four between three and five. In most studies of similar groups the interpretation has been placed upon the time element and tests have been employed to determine the intellectual level and scholastic training at the expense of the motor possibilities thereby failing to give adequate valuation to the specific competencies. Granting that most cases which come within the jurisdiction of the court are deficient to some extent along some line, the real issue is to determine whether such deficiency is a general dullness of all competencies or specific retardation and defect of a single competency or group of them. In the former case it would be the relative inferiority of all components of mental life, in the latter the decidedly poor quality of one or two. Such a deter148 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. mination would be of value because if only one competency is deficient or defective, there always remains the possibility of compensation through the other efficient ones. Memory Span.
The first test given in each case was the so-called memory span test. Several digits were repeated distinctly but in an even tone without rhyme or grouping. After each series correctly reproduced a second series having one additional digit was given. When two series of equal length had been given and the girl failed to reproduce either of them correctly, her maximum memory span was thus determined to be the number of digits correctly repeated upon the single presentation. The second series inaccurately given was then repeated until correctly recalled.
An indication of trainability was shown by the number of repetitions necessary for the accurate recall. The digit series used were those especially prepared and used at the Psychological Clinic of the University. No digit followed another in its natural or reversed sequence; neither was there any rhyme or familiar grouping in their order as presented.
Many experiments have been worked out along this type and the burden of results indicates a very close relationship to exist between adequate associability and memory with the individual’s general competency. It is without doubt one of the most valuable tests employed for diagnostic purposes. Results.
Dioits. Casks. 3 2 Median…. 6 digits 4 17 Mode 6 ” 5 87 Mean 6 ” 6 114 Maximum.. 9 ” 7 57 Minimum. .3 ” 8 18 9 5 See Table?Trials for next higher series. Trials fob Next Higher Series. Trials. Cases. 2 42 Median. 3 44 Mode… 4 36 Mean 6 5 43 Minimum. . 2 6 31 Maximum.. 10 plus 7 24 8 23 S 17 10 9 10 plus 31
Witmer Cylinder Test.
For the first two trials, the Witmer Cylinder Test was given as standardized by Paschal. This consisted of presenting the board with cylinders in place and saying, “I am going to take these blocks out and place them in the center, and I want you to put them back as quickly as you can;” then removing the blocks and adding “You may use both hands. Begin when you are ready, and do it as quickly as you can.” The time was recorded, but especial attention was paid to the quality of the performance, to the manner of approach and of placing the blocks and to the repetition of errors of the same type; also how quickly the plan of the construction of the board seems mastered; whether or not a purely trial and effort method was employed. Three minutes was taken as the maximum of time, and any performance requiring more time was scored a failure. If it was apparent that the subject did not comprehend the test or was unable to finish it, a minimum of instruction was given. If the subject seemed satisfied, having misplaced two or more blocks and made no effort to change them, the performance was scored a failure. The second trial was introduced by praise and an urge to “do even better this time.” Increasing efficiency and reduction in time were the notable features of this performance. At the third performance, these specific directions were given. “This time do it my way; whichever block you pick up first, put that one away correctly before you pick up another block. If you happen to put it in a wrong hole, take it out right away and find the right one for it. Remember! Each block in its right place before you pick up another one.”
By thus varying the procedure in this third trial, its level of complexity is somewhat raised. The first performance is an intelligence test “the solving of what, for the subject, is a new problem” (Witmer). The second indicates memory, trainability, efficiency, planfulness. The third imposes a specific procedure and requires the subject to carry out a plan which for the most part differs from the one she employed in the other two trials. It affords a good picture as to the manner of choosing blocks for placement and whether or not the subject has really worked out the plan of the test.
A successful performance of the cylinder test involves motor co-ordination, initiative, - complexity and energy rate. It involves also distribution of attention, analytic and persistent concentration, associability, memory and trainability. Dr Paschal found it to be “an adequate measurement for children at the six-year level and that their proficiency increased with their advancement in school.” He also found in his work with adults “a positive correlation or rather high proportion between the cylinder test performance and manual or mechanical capacity.” This is just the phrase in which it seems to me that this cylinder test is of value in our work at court. If the girl can do it successfully the picture is one of quality?how well she did it. But in the case of the failures it tells another story; an inability to pass a mechanical test at the six to ten-year level and the quality of the perfonnance is indicative of the special deficiencies involved. Results. Table 1.?General Distribution in Time, First Trial and Best Performance. QUINTILE DISTRIBUTION. First trial (300 eases) : Lowest. Lower. Middle. Hiohek. Highest. 135’ 85” 67” 60r 47’ Best Trial: 65’ 50’ 45’ 40’ 34’ Average of successful performances: First trial, 72’. Best trial, 48.6’. Table 2.?Qualitative Distribution as Estimated on a Five-point Scale. 200 cases (600 performances): Rating. 12 3 4 5 First trial 15 19 136 30 0 Second trial 1 7 107 82 3 Third trial 1 14 72 101 12 Best trial 0 3 51 133 3 These tables show the extent of trainability of the group along the line of motor response and this is the field of their greatest trainability. The average time of the first performance being cut from 72” to 48.6” in the best of three trials. The quality of performance too tends to improve. In the first and second trials, the mode is in the mediocre rating; in the third trial the mode is decidedly in the fourth or higher rating.
Dearborn Formboard.
The Dearborn formboard presents about the same type of problem as the cylinder test but at a higher level. Not only does it involve the replacement of some of the blocks but it also requires the rearrangement of those left in the board in order to make the others fit. It differs from the cylinder in that the problem is spread out over a single plane rather than involving varying depths along with the top surfaces as in the cylinder. On the whole, the girls enjoyed doing this test more than any of the others. They seemed to enjoy finding its solution after they were so apparently baffled. It provided an excellent opportunity for observation of analytical and persistent concentration of attention, rate of improvement and degree of efficiency attained.
The Design Block Test.
The design block test was given primarily to measure discrimination and to test visual acuity. The blocks were the familiar ones used in kindergartens and the subject was asked to copy simple designs of four blocks from the pattern presented. The first design was a square within a square and the second, a cheveron. The third design was a single stripe of a dark color on a lighter background and this the subject was asked to reproduce after having looked at it for about fifteen seconds. The fourth pattern was a zigzag with eight blocks and if each pattern had been easily reproduced, the direction was given: “Watch what I do to my blocks and when I am through, you do just the same to yours.” I would then rearrange the pattern, moving the blocks of one row in position to the opposite side of the figure. For the girl who could very easily do the first simple patterns, this was a more adequate measurement of her abilities.
Memory and analytical concentration are especially involved here. The pattern presents a stimulus of visual imageiy, and analysis of its parts and their relations, retention of that image and the transfer into the motor field for expression. This seems like such an easy thing below the level of the adolescent girl, but experience in watching the quality of the performance removes any doubt as to the level involved. Practically every girl could copy the designs but often only after several attempts and by the trial and error method. The performance of this test evidently throws light upon the ability to “see what you are looking at” and often gave added meaning to the way in which the formboards had been done.
Fundamentals in Arithmetic.
To ascertain the precision and accuracy of the abilities involved in activities other than those shown in the motor reactions, simple arithmetic problems were given. First sums of simple addition were given abstractly or in money changes; then those involving subtraction of simple numbers; problems of multiplication such as how much are 5 times 7, 3 times 2, 4 times 8, 9 times 6, and later such questions as “If oranges were 36 cents a dozen, how many could you buy for 15 cents?” No problem presented was beyond the fourteenyear level as given in Terman’s Revision of the Binet Tests. Each case was given a qualitative rating, 1 indicating ignorance or inability to answer with any degree of accuracy; 3 indicating accuracy in the fundamental processes themselves and an ability to apply them in simple problems. Ratings 4 and 5 were reserved for performances better than 3, and 2 meant for the most part accuracy in the abstract problems but failure in application.
This test showed to what degree each girl had retained her school knowledge; for the vast majority were doing more difficult problems when in school. It indicated their intellectual level, the level at which they were putting knowledge to use. In a fair way it shows the tendency to incorporate any knowledge into a working whole.
Qualitative Rating of Fundamentals in Arithmetic. 54 cases.
Rating. Cases.
1 5 2 24 3 18 4 7 5 0 To follow out this intellectual level further, two reading selections were given of about the same difficulty as the one presented by Terman at the ten-year level. The selection was printed in clear type as a news item and the girl was asked to read it aloud. Then she was told, “Tell me what you read about?everything that you can remember.” Time, errors and memories were recorded. Then the second selection was presented using the same procedure. No person can be said to have the ability to read unless she can make use of it to recount what she has learned from the printed symbols. Some instances showed an amazing visual picture had been set up by the reading and in retelling it, many imaginative and impossible details were added. Other cases claimed to have no idea of what had been read. Judging from the previously determined memory span and general position in life, such a statement might in some cases be easily conceived.
The scoring was again on the five-point scale taking into consideration the time and quality of the reading and the number of accurate memories recalled. The maximum time (as in Terman) was 35 seconds, 2 errors being allowed and 8 memories required. The selections as given were: A. “The morning paper stated that Mr. James Wolf is to be the manager of the New Moving Picture Palace at the corner of Brown and Pine Streets. Before the building is completed several thousands of dollars will be spent for decorating the interior. The Palace will be opened about July the fifteenth, and will show only the best pictures.”
B. “The workmen engaged in putting up the buildings for the New Art Film Company at Los Angeles struck last night for higher wages. They are now getting eight dollars a day. Some of them will be out of work for a long time. The work is so nearly done that pictures can be made soon.”
The result of both of these selections closely correlate; usually the time was increased a few seconds in the second as did also recall of memories tend to be slightly increased. The qualitative rating tended to remain constant.
Qualitative Rating of 100 Cases?Reading. Rating. Casks. 1 7 2 25 3 59 4 9 5 Summary. Distribution of Qualitative Rating of Mental Competencies as Indicated by the Tests?121 Cases.
I II III IV V Mode. Movement: Rate Coordination Initiative Complexity Attention: Concentrate analysis Persistance Distribution Alertness Interest Imagination: I mage ability Associability Trainability Memory Complexes: Understanding Planfulness Observation Intellect 12 72 28 1 (3) 3 80 27 6 74 19 25 23 7 26 58 25 4 77 27 7 58 11 6 48 11 5 36 6 17 32 17 16 76 15 40 58 11 7 57 25 18 53 21 20 41 9 (3) (3) (2) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3)
Intelligence 14 81 16
An ideal grouping of psychological tests would be one requiring a minimum of time and apparatus and one which would bring into play each mental competency at its maximum proficiency level. I have attempted here to plot the particular competencies the performance of each test involved and from such an analysis to see just how efficient this choice of tests would be. The classification of the competencies is one evolved at the University Clinic. It is true that quantitatively several of the competencies appear to merge into each other and so the classification is not entirely exclusive. It does, however, present the “high spots” necessary for normal mental equipment and I have indicated only those competencies especially involved in each test.
Compiling the qualitative rating of the competencies as given for 121 consecutive cases, I found that the mode rating in each competency (except the competency of movement) falls into the middle or third group; that the mode constitutes 50 per cent at least of all the cases rated, with the same exception and that of visual imagery. Although each competency was not rated in each case?rating being given only when established upon sufficient evidence?the mode is distinct enough to have a real meaning. It indicates on the one hand that in most cases the level of aggregate competencies rises above the class of incompetency, but on the other hand does not reach the level of assured sufficiency. In other words, the mental equipment of the cases studied barely reaches that point of proficiency which is necessaiy to get along with under favorable conditions. This point of proficiency is seen to be even less stably established by the fact that in many cases there are specific competencies below the median level in combination with others at or below the median. This spreads the instability to an even larger group of individual cases. The special aptitude of a higher rating (IV or V) is thus robbed of any special power by being forced to compensate for a deficient competency of an allied type.
The idea of such a compensation is well illustrated in the case of Stella, a Polish girl (mental age 13 years), who had attended school irregularly and had barely reached the fifth grade at 16 years. She had an auditory memoiy span of 4 digits (the memory span of a normal six-year-old is 4 to 6 digits). Her rating in the fundamentals of arithmetic was III; her reading scarcely better than II. The Design Blocks showed her to have a poor visual imageiy and her analytical attention was particularly poor. But she did have trainability and persistence. Such a combination is not promising but her highest proficiency in industry can only be realized if her job is a simple mechanical one, requiring attention directed to a single place?not scattered?and one in which speed counts. With both formboards she did very well, cutting down her time with the cylinA STUDY OF DELINQUENT GIRLS. 155 ders from 62” on the first performance to 43” on her second. With the Dearborn she failed on the,first performance?was unable to solve it in 5 minutes?yet in the second trial she completed it in 42 seconds and the third trial in 39 seconds without making a single serious mistake. Her two assets, trainability and persistence, will tend to compensate for her lack of auditory memory span and poor general equipment; but she can function only at a low intellectual level. If the assets were not recognized and utilized, the level would be lower still.
In some cases where the ability to hear is below par, the individual makes up for that deficiency by having a keen visual imagery and so strengthens the stimulation of audition with visual stimuli. That particular transfer works well as a rule but it does not help the “would be” telephone girl. The girl with a good distribution of attention can work well watching more than one thing at a time; the one who is slow to grasp a new idea (poor analysis) but who has good retentivity and trainability can be kept at a job until she conquers it, for the firm realizes that once a new idea is “in” it will remain. Industry is so highly specialized now that specific requirements may not be hindered by a real deficiency upon which that particular job makes little or no demand. It is to industry that competency analysis will be a real contribution, and since the “job problem” is an urgent one to the delinquent such an analysis is of the utmost importance to her.
A closer study of the distribution of the qualitative rating of competencies brings out some interesting indications. By comparing rating II with IV we see the quantitative tendency of the group ranking above and below the middle group in Initiative, Rate and Co-ordination of movement; but in Complexity of movement even the mode falls into Rating II. In Memory, more are below the median than above it. This is also true in Intellect?knowledge put to use. With the other competencies the distribution is surprisingly even. Low in Complexity of movement, Memory and Intellect. Is not this very combination of deficiencies pictured in their behavior? Their simple direct almost flagrant misconduct, so often failing to profit by experiences or to remember their promises or our threats. “Oh, I forgot.” “Honestly, I didn’t think.” Both very familiar excuses. We must somehow determine whether it is real deficiency or laziness and make our demands accordingly.
A vital factor in the difference between successful and unsuccessful non-conformity is Imagination?by means of which, the individual is able to foresee the probable result of one or more modes of behavior. Then judgment enters, approves, accepts, or rejects the con156 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. templated procedure. Less than one-fourth of this group showed the components of Imagination?imageability, planfulness, memory and intellect?above the line of mediocrity. Mediocrity here means the bare sufficiency to get along if no extra demand is made. I found only one girl who could repeat three moves with the design blocks upon a single presentation?she was a shoplifter and needed imagination in her business. Most of the others were able to follow two moves. This suggests that the reason that just this group “happened” to be arrested is that each lacked or failed to use sufficient imagination to foresee the inevitable result.
One hundred and twenty-eight of the three hundred cases had been examined and rated according to the Terman revision of the Binet series. This series of tests tends to overweight language ability and school proficiency. By presenting their results scored by another than myself a more complete picture would be made. The average I. Q. (intelligence quotient) is 65?below the line of the doubtful class. This group was a more or less selected one because only those who showed evidence of deficiency in the preliminary examination are given the complete Binet series. Perhaps it would be more comparable to take the average of 500 consecutive cases which were examined just previous to this group of 300. The average I. Q. of that group was 75?recognized as the borderline group between the definitely acceptable score and the decidedly questionable one. What the average of both groups indicates is mediocrity. No matter if you score on the motor side or on the scholastic side, the result is mediocrity. If you estimate the economic status of delinquents you find wide irregularities, inconsistant and ever changing levels. Delinquents are not always and completely anti-social; if they were, they would be incorrigibles? untrainable, hopeless. The delinquent is the unstable, will-o’-thewisp person, measured by any norm you choose, and any who would attempt to stabilize one of them, must know the material with which they must work. Intelligence is only a factor. Furthermore it is a complexus and not a unit characteristic. It is not enough to say that Alice has a mental age of 12 years, an I. Q. of 75. Many different Alices, presenting many different problems, may all rate the same I. Q. but in reality widely differ. That is why the qualitative rating comes nearer being a personal index, than does the Binet score. It comes nearer answering the question, what in Alice’s general mediocre equipment stands out as the very best. What is her chief power? Where can it best be used?
From a psychological approach, the program for directing the delinquent toward acceptable citizenship would bear such slogans as “Treat her as an individual. Know her assets. Take account of her deficiencies, congenital and acquired; definitely choose the environment which will tend to make conformity the easiest thing for her; recognize her desires and ambitions; give her work that she can do, and at the same time is hard enough to hold her interest.” Society can learn much from the fable which says that people are like seeds?so much depends upon the seed itself, the manner of seed it is. And then there is the ground, good ground, poor ground, ground that is good for some things but not for others; the rains, the wind, the sunshine?just enough but not too much and well distributed; besides these there are the possible accidents; the blights, the mischievous small boy, as well as the storms at harvest time. The farmer can only store the seed up to planting time; then he chooses ground, controls irrigation and stamps out blights. He works with the idea of making the very most out of the possibilities at hand. So must society.
The problem of the adolescent delinquent girl may well be approached from an analytical basis such as has been employed in the present investigation. From such an analysis a theoretical solution of her problem can be evolved and possibly a practical application therefrom deduced. Mal-functioning of the mind or physical nature denotes a disturbed equilibrium within its field. Does not mal-functioning of behavior, which is delinquency, also intimate a disturbance? Before any therapeutic measures can be intelligently applied, it is necessary to know the etiology of the delinquency and range of the individual’s probable development.
Conclusions.
From the analytical study of these 300 unselected white delinquent girls, between the ages of 16 and 25, it appears that: I. The mental equipment of the delinquent girl is in most cases of the doubtful level, the majority being neither definitely above nor below the standard accepted as normal. Whether or not it is adequate, depends largely upon the environmental demands made upon it.
II. In her mental equipment, there are definite assets and specific defects, which must be recognized and taken into account if the delinquent is to be taught to function at her highest level of proficiency. III. In order to know her possibilities and limitations, an analytical study should be made in each case.
IV. In many cases it is not only a deficiency, a lack of the quantitative development of the mental competencies, but the quality of the competencies is also defective. This presents a serious aspect when it comes to trainability and makes the prognosis unfavorable. V. Specific defects and deficiencies are reflected in the individual’s behavior. By measuring the extent of the ability with adequate tests, the range of possibilities may be determined. Special application may be made in the field of industry. VI. The competency motif of this group measured qualitatively, shows a general mediocrity throughout, with complexity of movement, memory, imagination and intellect especially deficient.
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