Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1922-06-30
INTELLIGENCE
TESTEXPLAINED
:. Graves Discusses Sub
ject Before Summer
School Students
OF MERE FAD,
EDUCATOR SAYS
eeial 70 The EvenIng journal.

d Abuse of Intelligence Testing"
IS discussed by DR.. Frank p.
'aves, Commissioner OF Education
r New York State before several
ndred students and faculty mem
RS of the University Of Delaware
MINER School in Wolf Hall last
ght.
This was the first Of a series OF
,tures arranged for the benefit Of
e Summer School students by the
rvice Citizens OF Delaware. Pro-
ssor w. A. Wilkinson. director OF
e school. presided and introduced
g speaker.
DR.. Graves said that despite its
ortcomings. intelligence testing is
5t a mere fad and urged that It be
ven a chance. He said It sprang
the front through the exigencies
strong nation IN peril and has
en- utilized and developed by prac-
al and hard headed members OF
odern society. The subject which
one not thoroughly understood by
teachers was of special interest
discussed by DR.. Graves. He said
part:
"One OF the most obvious educa-
Dnal over-tones which could be dis
|nguished even by an unframed ear
the recent meeting of the Depart
lent OF superintendent at Chicago,
as that of warning sounded by DR..
lgley against too complete accept
ice Of the results and interpreta-
)n Of intelligence testing. Some
hat similar cautions have been pre-
nted in a recent number Of The
dependent under the caption of
he Great God Efficiency snd in
is weeks School and Society
rough Doctor Breeds inquiry,
HAIL We CLASSIFY Students by Intel
yence Tests? Educators generally
EN- TO be undergoing a reaction
ON the first glow OF enthusiasm,
/ Id there has arisen a perceptible
ar lest we ruin the prospects OF
eat service from psychological tests
| Id the measure OF intelligence by
|,erdoing them. And this reaction !
not Unjustified. But we should /
(ot, therefore, rush TO the other ex- I
eme and conclude that the whole I
Undertaking has been a farce. |
here has been too rich and abund- /
|ht a fruitage from the orcharts OF
|telligence testing to condemn it al /,
|gether as meager, unripe. or I'M
bund. We have not so acted in the |
|lse Of medicine. which probably ]
FINISHES the nearest analogy to the /
|,sting Of psychology. Neither the !
|imerous errors in diagnosis or I
|eatment by physicians OF standing. /
|or the explorations of quacks and I
Larlatans prevent our consulting the 4
,mily doctor or the specialist when
or recognizing the tremendous ad-
ance in medicine when we are in
ealth.
despite fits shortcomings. intelli-
ence testing is not a mere fad,
or IS It the Idle fancy Of some
reamer or visionary. It sprang
TO the forefront through
he exigencies OF a strong
alton in peril and has been
tilted and developed through the
lost practical and hard-headed
lembers Of modern society. It
haracterizes the heritage OF the
ventieth century received from the
era that just preceded II.
S the ninteenth has been known as
ne wonderful century, because Of its
onquest over material forces, its
iccessor will be marked through
ut the ages as most astounding, be-
ause of its conquest over spiritual
overs and the mind of men. The
lsk is so stupendous, is 1t to be won
cred at that we have sometimes
Uttered or erred, or that succeeding
part at least, we have become too
lnguine and over--stimated our
Yet we should not on
lat account altogether stop or tarry
yer long in our pursuit Of the con-
ol of intelligence.
but, what, it may be asked, do
Q imply by intelligence and why is
of such importance to test it? The
ord is. like many in common use,
ne about which we are generally
ore glib than definite. Probably
lr greatest error rests in the con-
option of intelligence as a single or
nitary process and our failure to
allie that it is a complex into
hich many varying factors enter.
"a person may rate very low in
lie aspect and comparatively high
others. As my distinguished
rmer colleague. Doctor Wilmer,
ates the matter on the negative
de, eve are all of us feeble-minded
Hence, II we should
ish TO secure an accurate index to
e intelligence of any one, we should
, obliged to test his ability to think :
all directions. Such n process
ould obviously be too tedious and {
even for the most en- 5
usiastic Of psychological testers, {
Id by common consent the various
ilities have been reduced to gem {
al groups within which the special 6
pes differ but little from each {
her-abstract, intelligence, me {
anical intelligence, and social in
lligence. Persons who possess this '
st group of intelligence in a high v
gree may come to great promi7 &
nee with little else in the way of {
entality to brag about. The pop I
ar way OF reporting the finding in {
CHI group of intelligences has been (
the form of mental age. But since u
rman revised the Binet-Simon a
sasurements. a more common &
sthod of reporting has been t
rough ascertaining the intelligence 7
otient. or I. O., as II is abbreviated. G
the subject. An 1. @. as high as e
e hundred and eighty is occasion &
v found. and it is generally he'd C
psychologists that successful stu 2
ntship in college requires an in b
ligence quotient OF at least one {