Psychological Test, Burdick Apperception Test (Scale A) and Booklet on World War I Testing
name: label: maker
content: Roback, A. A.
notes: label: Description
content: The test is titled “APPENDIX L, Burdick Apperception Test.” Section I (not labeled) of Scale A asks twelve different multiple choice questions about identifying different objects. Section II lists twenty questions where the test taker must underline the best word to complete the sentence. The next section, Section III asks the test taker to list “all of the furniture that belongs in a well-furnished dining room.” Then, Section IV provides fifteen true or false questions. Section V asks the test taker to list the things that their mother and father thought they would be when they grew up, as well as what the test taker expected to be when she or he grew up. The next section, Section VI, poses ten questions about how frequently different outcomes occur. Then Section VII lists fourteen different words; the test taker is asked to “find the word in each line which most nearly describes the first word in the line.” Section VIII lists eighteen different household duties and instructs the test taker to write “the person or persons whose regular task it is to do the thing named.” Following the household duties section, the test taker is provided with a list of real world scenarios and the test taker must record “what you think happened next. Never mind what ought to have happened. Guess what actually did happen.” Section X provided a list of twenty two different abbreviations and the test taker must record what each of these different abbreviations stood for. The next section asks the test taker to imagine that a “good fairy or magician were to grant you three wishes,” and asks the test taker to then describe what they would wish for.
label: Description
content: The instructions for Scale B say that this section can be completed at home. Section I is a version of the game “Twenty Guesses” where the student is supposed to write down twenty guesses of an object that exists in a living room. Then the test lists fourteen topics/writing prompts; the student is instructed to record whether they could write “a lot,” “a little,” or could not write on the topic. The next section, Section III, lists the first word (or words) from different magazines, books, songs, and actresses/actors/movie stars. The test taker must then write the second word or name to complete the title. Section VI provides the student with six different scenarios where they are asked to record whether they would prefer to be alone or with somebody else. If they select latter, the test taker is instructed to record who they would like to be spending time with. The final section asks eight true or false questions.
label: Description
content: In sum, this test asks many questions on what we today would call etiquette. Therefore, it is useful not only to historians of psychology, but also to those wishing to better understand the norms and values of the period in which the test was produced.
label: Description
content: Appended to this test is a folder with number MA.316371.005.01, which contains a booklet. The first page of this six-page document is entitled “PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.” It provides instructions for each of the ten tests for non-English speaking subjects. These include: the ship test, the manikin and feature profile, the cube imitation, cube construction, form board, digit symbol, the maze, picture arrangement, and picture completion. The booklet also includes a section called “SCHEDULE FOR ILLITERATES” which lists the test that should be given to people who can speak but not write in English. It also includes a section entitled “SCHEDULE FOR FOREIGNERS” which lists the tests that should be given to people who lack a “knowledge of English.”
label: Description
content: The document is covered in two cardboard sheets (the first one has fallen off) and on the left-hand binding is handwritten written “Foreign & Illiterate Scale.” David Shakow’s name is listed in blue ink in the upper left-hand corner. The document contains handwritten markings and notes
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Psychology
label: Subject
content: Psychological Tests
label: Subject
content: Mathematics
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of David Shakow
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.316371.005
label: accession number
content: 316371
label: catalog number
content: 316371.005
objectType: label: Object Name
content: psychological test
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 25 cm x 29.9 cm; 9 27/32 in x 11 25/32 in