Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-08
By PROF. W. T. BOOK,
Head OF Psychology Department,
Indiana University.


School pupils should be tested as to
their knowledge Of wrong grammar, as
well as correct grammar. and this test
is one Of the most important among the
Indiana intelligence tests. In this series
there are four sentences in each example
and forty examples IN the test so that
the results obtained indicated the wide
range Of knowledge and ability to OBJ
serve.
The following examples illustrate the
tests:
/ feel bad today. The ice feels smooth
". The broom sweeps clean. He looked
at her severely.
In this example the second sentence
is fncorrect-the word smoothly being IN
correct. All four sentences are in the
same example, so that the pupils taking
the test must observe closely before
marking the incorrect sentence Incor-
rect subjects, verbs, objects compose the
defective parts Of the sentences, and q
different imperfectiOn exists in each ex-
ample SO that the pupil must observe
the difference in each example and no
effort on his or her part to marx the
same relative sentence in each example
would bring a correct test
For the mental survey test the pupil
IS examined for his or her ability to re
member g series Of words, logical selec-
lions OF words, examples Of Opposites,
logical memory, word completion, moral
classification and practical Information
Testing ability to remember words the
person giving the test reads a series OF
words and at different places in the
series the same word is repeated. The
pupil must then write down the next
word after the repeated word each time
This tests the pupils accurate memory
and ability to make use OF that memory
quickly. The repeated word may come
three words aDart at one time, ten words
at another, seven words at another so
the pupil must always be on the alert.
The next phase OF the survey IS logical
selection. In that test appear five to
ten words, three Of which pertain to the
same object and the pupil must search
and find the words pertaining to the
object named. 1t is planned by this test
TO gauge the range Of knowledge which
can be assembled instantly by the pupils
about a given object
An example-cat-fur-h ouse-milk- claws.
Explanations Of this example is that
g cat has claws and fur. Now cats
likewise drink milk and often live in a
house, but those two words are placed
there in attempt TO test the alertness OF
the student and their range OF knowI-
edge.
Another example:
Store counter clerk-cash register-adver-
tisements- gOOds-bOxes.
Now IN this example a store would
have a counter, a clerk goods. But all
stores do not have cash registers, ad-
vertisements or boxes. In this example
-te
the essentials a store must have-not all
the things a store might have in it. The
different words all may apply to a store
but the essential things must be out
lined by the pupils.
In ma-ing this test in city schools II
developed that most OF the pupils OF one
school added the wOrds-cash register
and advertisement ts-tO their list aud up
or the checking Of the lists it was found
that the stores In the neighborhOod al
were up-to-date stores and had all the
things in the list. AS the pupils Of that
school had observed these things In tbs
stores and have never seen stores without
them, IL was only natural that they Hst
those articles. In rural districts where
the stores are not so modernly equipped
these articles were left out Of the list
made up by pupils of similar grade. IL
either case the observing power Of the
student was accurately gauged. Other
phases Of the mental survey test viii ap-
pear in succeeding articles.