Page:Scientific Monthly, volume 14.djvu/37

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
ADVENTURES IN STUPIDITY
29

Opposite. Wise—"not wise." (20 sec.) Silent—"still" (18 sec.). Similar—"things" (20 sec.). Cheap—"goods" (7 sec.). Never—"will" (12 sec.). (Here task was explained again, as it was evident K had lost the goal) Joy—"gloom" (4 sec.). Prompt—"late" (6 sec.). Vacant—"don't know." Busy—"dull" (12 sec.). Distant—"close" (3 sec.). Lazy—"don't know" (35 sec.). Easy—"hard" (2 sec.). Generous—"close" (3 sec.). Horrid—"mild" (12 sec.). Rude—"good" (5 sec.). Top "tail" (13 sec.). Many—"few" (2 sec.). Rough—"calm" (4 sec.). Upper—"lower" (3 sec.). After—"before" (2 sec.).

Letter Line Test. Only one point credit.

Code Learning. No credit.


Army (1917) Individual Examination

Of tests A to V of the original individual examination methods prepared for use in the army (1917), the following were given:

Clock Test. Could tell time promptly and, when clock was visible, could tell what time it would be if hands were reversed. Failed on latter when clock was not visible. (About a 12 or 13-year performance.)

Knox imitation. Six successes in ten trials. No success beyond five moves.

Porteus maze. One error in 10-year maze, two in n-year maze and none in mazes for 12 or 13 years. (About a 13 year performance.)

Orientational information. No failure.

Vocabulary. Average for two series of 50 words each was 21 correct definitions. Easy words failed included voluntary, perpetual ("motion in a line"), embers, tragic, optimist, repent, capitulate, contemplate, bestow, cooper ("builds coops"), hypocrite ("sort of non-believer"), etc. (About a 13½ year performance.)

Disarranged sentences. Two of three correct. (12 years).

Absurdities. Series 1 and 2, twenty absurdities in all, were given. Only the following were failed: Series 1 (i)—A mistake is much worse than a lie, for all people make mistakes and all liars tell lies; Series 2 (g)—Just before sunset we sat in the shade of a tall tree and amused ourselves by watching the shadows as they gradually grew shorter and shorter. (At least a 12 year performance).

Rhymes. For stone three rhymes were found in one minute, for permit one, and for resist four.

Likenesses and Differences. Series 1 and 2 were given, on 20 items in all. There were six failures, besides several passes of low value. (12 or 13-year performance.) Typical inferior responses were as follows:

How hat and coat are alike—"Both gold rimmed."
Rose, potato, and tree—"Can't get that."
Animal and plant—"Both have hearts."
Lamb, calf, and child—"All have feet."
Grass, cotton, tree, and thistle—"All green."

Memory for Designs. Of the five designs, two were reproduced correctly and two half correctly, (liberal scoring). This is probably about a ten-year performance.

Logical memory. Passages 1 and 2 were given. These are perhaps slightly more difficult than the Binet passage (Fire in New York), and have 20 "memories" each. Both were read fluently and without error. Seven memories were given for the first and 11 for the second. (11 or 12-year, performance).