Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic PsychologyHealy, William
Science
Pathology of Lying, Accusation, and Swindling: A Study in Forensic Psychology
Healy, William
Criminal psychology; Swindlers and swindling
correctly by normal individuals, at least on the second trial, by
the time they are 10 or 12 years of age. A simple test for
visual memory of form also brought poor results.
As an extreme contrast to the above results, the tests that had
to do with language were remarkably well done. A visual verbal
memory passage was given with unusual accuracy, also an auditory
verbal passage was rendered almost perfectly. Considering that
the former has 20 items and the latter 12 details, this
performance was exceptionally good. Also, the so-called Antonym
Test, where one is asked to give as quickly as possible the
opposite to a word, the result, considering his foreign
education, was decidedly good. Three out of twenty opposites
were not given, apparently on account of the lack of knowledge.
The average time was 2.3 seconds. If two of the other
time-reactions were left out, which were probably slow from lack
of knowledge, the average time would be 1.6 seconds for 15
opposites. This shows evidence of some good mental control on
the language side. Motor control was fair. He was able to tap
75 of our squares with 2 errors in 30 seconds, just a medium
performance. A letter written on this date contains quite a few
mis-spelled short words: ``My father Send me to This Court for
The troubels I had with my sister,'' etc.
While awaiting trial Adolf, stating that he was desirous of doing
so, was given ample opportunity to study arithmetic. After a few
days he told us unhesitatingly that he now could do long
division, but he utterly failed, and, indeed, made many errors in
a sum in addition. He had acquired part of the multiplication
table.
Study of his range of information brought out some curious
points. He told of some comparative merits of law schools, had
some books on home-taught law, and was a great reader of the
newspapers. In the latter he chiefly perused reports of court
cases. He was quite familiar with the names of various attorneys
and judges. He could give the names in contemporary politics,
and knew about sporting items. His knowledge of the history of
this country was absolutely deficient, but he does not hesitate
to give such statements as the following: ``The Fourth of July
is to remember a great battle between President Lincoln and the
English country.'' Again he makes a bluff to give scientific
items, although he has the shallowest information. When it comes
to athletics, much to our surprise, we hear that our flabby boy
is a champion. Of course, he knows some of the rulers in Europe
and by what route he came to New York, but he informs us that
Paris is the largest country in Europe.
Adolf says he plays a very good game of checkers, that he had
played much, but on trial he shows a very poor game, once moving
backwards. When purposely given chances to take men he did not
perceive the opportunities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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