Measure Your Mind: The Mentimeter and How to Use ItTrabue, Marion Rex
Science
Measure Your Mind: The Mentimeter and How to Use It
Trabue, Marion Rex
Educational tests and measurements; Intelligence tests; Psychological tests
Scores of 0 to 3 indicate Inferior Ability
Scores of 4 to 7 indicate Low Average Ability
Scores of 8 to 16 indicate Average Ability
Scores of 17 to 20 indicate High Average Ability
Scores of 21 to 25 indicate Superior Ability
MENTIMETER NO. 23
COMPLETION OF SENTENCES
_Character of the Test._
This is one of the most satisfactory group tests available for persons
with a reading knowledge of the English language. The test consists of a
series of sentences in each of which certain words have been omitted.
Dotted lines appear at those places where words are missing. The persons
being examined are asked to write on the dotted lines the words which
have been left out. The blanks left in the sentences are all of the same
length in order not to suggest the word to be used. The Mentimeter form
of the test contains 20 sentences, graduated in difficulty, from very
simple sentences which the average second-grade public school pupil can
complete easily, to very difficult sentences which the average college
student will be unable to complete satisfactorily within the time limit.
The ease with which one can understand what is to be done in this test
makes it particularly useful with children in the elementary schools,
and with adults of little education, as a measure of language ability
and general intellectual capacity in the manipulation of ideas and
words. Although it has been used by many teachers and supervisors as a
test of reading ability, it should probably be classified rather as an
intelligence test than as an educational measuring instrument. Teachers
do not and should not give direct instruction in the art of writing
missing words, for almost no situation will arise in practical life
where this sort of skill would be necessary.
It is very difficult to determine just what mental powers are tested by
the sentence completion test. Quite certainly the result obtained is a
complex effect. The person who is successful in this test must first of
all be able to read and understand the words which are actually present
in any sentence; he must have certain habits of associating other words
not present with those which do appear; from all of the words which come
to his mind as associates of the printed words, he must choose those
which fit most aptly the thought expressed; and from those words which
would fit into the thought of the sentence he must use good judgment in
selecting and writing the one which makes the smoothest and best
sentence. Lack of mental ability or of familiarity with the English
language will result in a poor showing at almost any step of the process
and in a low score in the test as a whole.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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