The measurement of intelligence : $b an explanation of and a complete guide for the use of the Standard revision and extension of the Binet-Simon intelligence scaleTerman, Lewis M. (Lewis Madison)
Science
The measurement of intelligence : $b an explanation of and a complete guide for the use of the Standard revision and extension of the Binet-Simon intelligence scale
The criminologists have been accustomed to give more attention to the
physical than to the mental correlates of crime. Thus, Lombroso and
his followers subjected thousands of criminals to observation and
measurement with regard to such physical traits as size and shape of the
skull, bilateral asymmetries, anomalies of the ear, eye, nose, palate,
teeth, hands, fingers, hair, dermal sensitivity, etc. The search was for
physical "stigmata" characteristic of the "criminal type."
Although such studies performed an important service in creating a
scientific interest in criminology, the theories of Lombroso have been
wholly discredited by the results of intelligence tests. Such tests have
demonstrated, beyond any possibility of doubt, that the most important
trait of at least 25 per cent of our criminals is mental weakness. The
physical abnormalities which have been found so common among prisoners
are not the stigmata of criminality, but the physical accompaniments of
feeble-mindedness. They have no diagnostic significance except in so far
as they are indications of mental deficiency. Without exception, every
study which has been made of the intelligence level of delinquents has
furnished convincing testimony as to the close relation existing between
mental weakness and moral abnormality. Some of these findings are as
follows:--
Miss Renz tested 100 girls of the Ohio State Reformatory and
reported 36 per cent as certainly feeble-minded. In every one of
these cases the commitment papers had given the pronouncement
"intellect sound."
Under the direction of Dr. Goddard the Binet tests were given to
100 juvenile court cases, chosen at random, in Newark, New
Jersey. Nearly half were classified as feeble-minded. One boy
17 years old had 9-year intelligence; another of 15½ had
8-year intelligence.
Of 56 delinquent girls 14 to 20 years of age tested by Hill and
Goddard, almost half belonged either to the 9- or the 10-year
level of intelligence.
Dr. G. G. Fernald's tests of 100 prisoners at the Massachusetts
State Reformatory showed that at least 25 per cent were
feeble-minded.
Of 1186 girls tested by Miss Dewson at the State Industrial
School for Girls at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 28 per cent were
found to have subnormal intelligence.
Dr. Katherine Bement Davis's report on 1000 cases entered in the
Bedford Home for Women, New York, stated that there was no doubt
but that at least 157 were feeble-minded. Recently there has
been established at this institution one of the most important
research laboratories of the kind in the United States, with a
trained psychologist, Dr. Mabel Fernald, in charge.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account