The Washington times., 1901-08-04
MEASUREMENT OF MINDS.
Methods for Testing Capacity and
Accuracy in Observation.
Prof. Thomas Wilson. of the Smith
sonian Institution. Indicates How
Differences in Mental Conditions
. Nay he Found by Experiments.


A majority of the persons who have
given much thought TO the subject, ac-
knowledge that the educational meth
DDS in vogue are very imperfect. In
other words, nature is left in the back
ground, and stilted artificial means en-
ployed in teaching the young idea now
to shoot" 1t is apparent that the
faculty of observation should be the
first to receive attention in the child
who. in general rejuices in that faculty
in very eminent degree, insomuch
that such competent critics as Coler-
idee and Dickens define genius as de-
pendent essentially on the. retention OF
this fresh and vigorous power of OBJ
servation possessed in infancy.
That a school should combine, with
the most valuable and practical train
ing methods. just system for estab-
fishing the comparative mental callpres
of its pupils, is generally admitted;
hence classes and competitive examina-
tions. A method which includes the
most adequate training possible of the
faculty of observation in the child, ana
the accurate determination of the re-
spective mental capacities and capa-
bilities of children, would seem most
important desideratum in the present
confused and unsatisfactory condition
of education.
Prof. Thomas Wilson, of the Smith
sonian Institution in regard to the pos
sibility of testing the strength CT the
faculty of observation in various pu-
pills, says:
Examine the subject (pupiD for the
truthfulness, the fidelity of his sensa-
ton. First, as to his sense of color.
The question may be as to what sensa-
ton is produced upon his mind by the
sight of a strand of worsted of given
color Does green give the proper SEN
sation, or purple or red? This is
test of the correctness Of the impression
as TO color. The operation is lone lais-'
urely. Rapidity is not now cequired; it
is accuracy which is being tested.
AS the examination of the subject
progresses mark on the chart his sue
cesses or failures The fault in his
sense of color may result from species
tion as to size, form, etc, which is not
affected by disease, but is question
purely of truthfulness of sensation or
impression Show him a yard stick
and let him mark the middle of it Di-
vide it into feet or inches. Let him do
it slowly, but correctly. Compare two
lengths; draw parallel lines, some true
and some untrue. Try him with angles
right and other than right. Invent
methods to test the correctness of the
impression on his mind as derived from
the operation on his sense of sight.
"As a second lesson in the course,
give him the chalk and let him mark
on the board the lines which he has just
tried. Let him make a straight line Of
certain length; an inch. foot, a yard;
a right angle, a square, circle, rar-
allel lines, etc.
Having exhausted the subject of cor
rectness, test him for rapidity; have
him do the same things, and in addition
10 correctness, require rapidity.
To correctness and rapidity in such
elementary matters let US add the test
of power of observation; that is, the ca
pacity to see things, to see them cor
rectly, rapidly. and to note their num-
ber, position, quality. etc. This is only
to note the sensation obtained from
larger view than the sticks and lines
first shown. 1t is still. however. the
mental impression derived from the
operation of the sense of sight.
March the candidates. or class, whom
it is intended to examine in this man
ner for the purpose of ascertaining
their respective capabilities. into a
room. allow them to stay therein
given period, and bring them out again;
then make them describe every article
seen. Lessen the period of their re-
manning in the room to, say, one min
ute. Try unfamiliar rooms, try a pic
ture; conduct them past an open door
at slow pace, and then ask them, of
course individually and privately, to
describe every article seen in the room.
AN these tests can be registered for
each candidate, and the result will be
his mental capacity in each of these re-
CARDS, correctly expressed in figures.
Then try him with the sense of hear
ing, of touch, possibly of smell You
viii say this will sharpen his senses. L
prefer to say it will sharpen his wits
that il educates him, causes him to cor
rectly note the impression of an object
as presented 10 the senses and as cor
rectly to report it or carry 1t in his
mind
.-All this is but the exercise of the
mental quality called attention. After
attention or observation, the fundamen-
tai mental quality of the human being,
comes memory. Thus we may measure
by anthropometry the mental qualities
OF sensation, impression, attention, and
memory.
"These are the faculties by which the
mind of man receives its communica-
tions from the world. By their means
st obtains the raw material, as 1t were,
TO be worked up in the laboratory of
thought.
Pursuing the system still further on
this fundamental axiom. man holds
communication with the outside world
through his five senses-and the Corol-
larry following. that the action of either
Of these produces sensation. sensa-
lion produces perception. and percep-
tion iutelligence-we come 10 The CON
clusion that. if we can measure the SEN
sation, We are on the road to measuring
the perception, and so on To the under
standing and intelligence. and possibly
the mind in its more subtle and alb
.itruse aperations