STATISTICAL RESULTS OF AN EIGHT YEAR TESTING PROGRAM OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC IN A CHARITY HOSPITAL By Persis White
Simmons,
Ph.D.
1
The Psychological Clinic of the Indiana University Medical Center was opened February, 1923,2 under the direction of the late Herman H. Young, professor of Clinical Psychology at Indiana
University. It
was
the desire of President W. L.
Bryan,
Dr. Charles P.
Emerson, Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Frank Hutchins, Head of the Department of Nervous and Mental Diseases, Robert E. Administrator of the Medical Center, Miss Ethel P. Clark, Director of the Nurses Training School, and Dr. W. P. Moenning, Chief Resident Physician of Robert Long Hospital, to cooperate with Dr. Young to ascertain what types of cases from a psychological viewpoint came to the Center as free cases. It was necessary
Neff,
for the court to declare a case "indigent" before it was eligible for free services, and the cases therefore came from the inferior economic groups. The purpose of this paper is to present the data from the routine psychometric examinations of "indigent" cases, hereafter referred to as an experimental group, and to indicate what test performances may be expected of individuals who are dependent on The work covers an eight-year period. During this time first under the direction of Herman H. Young and later under the direction of Mary H. Young. Although the work was done in a hospital clinic, no individual was given a psychological examination when he was acutely ill.
charity.
the work
was
made when the individual
was able to leave Because of the fine spirit of cooperation in the hospital, the children looked forward eagerly It was possible to the examination and even begged to be "next." to establish exceptionally fine rapport with practically every child.
Each examination the ward and
was
come
to the clinic rooms.
i Assistant Director of Research, Psychological Clinic, Indiana University Hospitals, 1928-1931. 2 Young, H. H. The Psychological Clime, Indiana University, Indiana University News Letter, 1928, 11, 1-8.
128
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
129
The routine examinations which are tabulated here do not include the entire program of the clinic. Coincident with the testing program, recommendations were made in regard to the disposition of the cases and psychological research was directed in the field of speech, the training of spastics, behavior and personality concerned here, however, only with the trend secured over a period of eight and one-half years, on over two thousand individuals that came from homes of inferior economic status. We
problems.
of the test
The
are
scores
Stanford
Revision
of
the Binet-Simon
Intelligence
Scale
The Stanford Revision of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale given to only 2315 of the total number of 2558 cases. Age, vision, hearing, speech, et cetera, made it impossible in some incould be
stances to
give
this test.
Chronological Age 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Older than 16
Total
The
From
frequency
at the different ages does not vary
Number of
Cases 66 95 139 200 206 203 184 233 198 188 170
168 175 22 68 2315
significantly.
through fifteen it is practically the same at each age. Below five and above fifteen years of age there are fewer cases than at other ages. The small number of cases above fifteen years of age may be due to the fact that individuals sixteen years ?f age or older are not compelled to attend school in Indiana and ages five
not brought to the attention of socio-educational The few cases below five years of age may be due to the fact that most children below six are not yet in school and to the fact that unusual physical or psychological development is not so noticeable to the layman when a child is very young.
are,
therefore,
agencies.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
130
Table I shows the I.Q.3 distribution of the experimental cases from age five through age fourteen. The I.Q.'s have been grouped in intervals of ten. The percentage of cases which occurs at each interval is given. In addition, the cumulative percentage, reading from the lower scores to the higher scores, is indicated. In order to compare the test performances of the experimental group with those of an unselected group, the percentages and the cumulative percentages obtained by Terman with the Stanford Revision of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale,4 are also presented. The unselected
cases
used
by
Terman will be referred to
as
the
con-
trol group.
Any arbitrary unit of I.Q.'s may be compared and it will be noted that the I.Q.'s of the experimental group are definitely inferior to those of the control group. For example, consider the units in which approximately one third of the
I.Q. 's
of the control group occurred:
I.Q.'s of the control group, were lower than 96. I.Q.'s of the experimental group were lower than 96. of the I.Q.'s of the control group were between 96 and 105. of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were between 96
31.3 per cent of the 69.3 per cent of the 33.9 per cent 16.5 per cent and 105.
34.9 per cent of the 14.2 per cent of the
I.Q.'s I.Q.'s
of the control group were above 105. of the experimental group were above 105.
Consider the range between I.Q. 86 and
I.Q.
115.
77.1 per cent of the control group were in this range. 47.5 per cent of the experimental group were in this range.
The distribution of the control group above and below this comparatively equal, but the distribution of the experimental group is definitely weighted at the lower extremity. range is
I.Q.'s of the control group were below 86. I.Q.'s of the control group were above 115. 47.4 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were below 86. 5.2 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were above 115. 11.2 per cent of the 11.8 per cent of the
Or consider the wider range between s
In the
I.Q.
76 and
I.Q.
used the term "Binet Test
125.
Age Quotient" hospital records, Young "Intelligence Quotient." See Young, H. H., Basic points of reference in mental and educational measurements, The Educational Outloolc, 1931, 6, 13-14. The numerical computation was the same as that for the I.Q., and for the sake of clarity '1 I.Q.'' is used in this article. 4 Terman, L. M. The measurement of intelligence, New York, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1916, p. 66. rather
than
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
131
94.7 per cent of the control group were in this range. 69.0 per cent of the experimental group were in this range.
Again, the distribution of the control group above and below this range is comparatively equal, but the distribution of the experimental group is definitely weighted at the lower extremity. I.Q.'s of the control group were below 76. I.Q.'s of the control group were above 125. 29.2 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were below 76. 1.7 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were above 125. 2.6 per cent of the 2.8 per cent of the
These results are consistent with previous studies, which have concluded that, as a whole, indigent cases rank lower than unselected cases. In addition to this general trend in correlations between test performance and socio-economic status, two factors should be mentioned which may have been contributive to the large
percentage of inferior scores in the experimental group. They first, the early elimination of these lowest groups from the public schools, where the control cases were obtained; second, the
are:
fact that the noticeably deficient people more easily attract the attention of such social agencies as cooperate with a charity hospital. Table II presents the I.Q. range and the quartiles for each age. The ages have been grouped in twelve-month units; for example, 3 includes all children 3 years 0 months of age to 3 years 11 months of age, inclusive. The median I.Q. at any given age is lower than the approximate median I.Q. of the control group, 100. In the control group, the distribution of I.Q.'s at each age from 5 to 14 was symmetrical. The middle fifty per cent of the I.Q. 's of the
approximately between 93 and 108; that is, Qx was ap93 and Q, was approximately 108. The middle fifty per cent of the I.Q. 's of the experimental group did not conform to this distribution. Qx was lower than 93 at each age and Q, was consistently lower than 108 at each of these ages. Likewise, the range from Qx to Q3 was approximately 15 for the control group, but was greater than 15 for the experimental group. This is not surprising as it scarcely would be anticipated that measures of spread in regard to scores of an unselected group would conform with those of a selected group, such as this experimental group of cases. The distribution of scores of the experimental cases
fell
proximately
group deviates to a marked extent from a normal distribution. At year 15 there was less difference between the median I.Q.'s of the two groups. The median I.Q. of the control group was 90.
132
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
of the experimental group 85. And at year 16, the median I.Q. of the experimental group, 91, was superior to the median I.Q. of the control group, 80. The similarity of scores of these two groups, no doubt, is due to the fact that the 15 and 16 year old children of the control group were "left-over retardates" and "below average in intelligence.'' They would, therefore, be expected to have lower than the younger children of the control group who were an "unselected" group. Both Table I and Table II show that one conclusion is clearly
test
scores
more
truly
Table I Intelligence Quotient Distribution Stanford Revision, Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale Ages 5 to 14 Inclusive Control Group (1)
Experimental Group I.Q. Range
Number of
Percentage of Cases
Cases 55 and below 56- 65 66- 75 76- 85 86- 95
8.6 7.6
164 145 248
96-105
348 417 314
106-115
171
116-125
66
126-135 136-145 Above 145
24 4 4
Total
Cumulative Percentage
Percentage of Cases
8.6 16.2 29.2
13.0 18.3 21.9 16.5 9.0 3.5 1.2 .2 .2
94.9 98.4 99.6
.3 2.3 8.6 20.1 33.9 23.1 9.0 2.3
99.8
.5
47.5 69.4
85.9
Cumulative Percentage
.3
2.6 11.2 31.3
65.2 88.3
97.3 99.6
100.1
100.0
1906
Table II I. Q. Range and Quartiles of Experimental Group Ages Three to Sixteen, Inclusive Chronological Age
Least
I.Q.
61 54 37 36
Greatest I.Q.
Qi
Qa
Qa
167 141
89 88 83
96 94 91 90
107 100 103 100 101 100 99 98
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
38 34 26 35 29 27
13.
25
121
76 72 71 72 70
14. 15. 16.
24 19
129 122 104
63 73
90 87 86 84 82 82 85 91
27
105
60
72
Older than 16
31
..
133 132 136 194 135
137 158 154
77 84 74
63
97 99
100 93 91 93
83
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
133
evident: the test scores of the experimental cases are definitely and consistently inferior, from ages 4 to 15, to the test scores of the control group. In fact, the average I.Q. for the entire experimental group is 84.2, which is 15.8 points lower than the Terman. Stated approximate average I.Q. of 100 obtained by cent of the experimental cases had I.Q.'s of another 76 way,
per
100 or less. The average I.Q. of 84.2 for the experimental group is also 8.8 points lower than the average I.Q. of 93 obtained by Terman for the group of children selected from among his unselected group and designated as "inferior social class."5 A possible explanation of the lower ranking of the Indiana University Medical Center Group is that the criteria for social classification ' used the teachers who selected Terman's inferior social class
by included
social group above the level that would be declared "indigent" by a court. It is a justifiable prediction, on the basis of the results obtained at the Medical Center, that individuals who are dependent on an unselected group on the charity will as a group rank inferior to Intelligence Scale. This Binet-Simon the of Stanford Revision a
individuals will make
prediction does not imply, however, that The I.Q. s of the superior scores. The facts are to the contrary. to 194, but fewer superior 24 from experimental group ranged the control group. Only scores were made by this group than by no
24 per cent of the experimental cases had I.Q.'s above had approximately 50 per cent of the control group 100. Results of the Witmer Formboard
100, whereas I.Q.'s above
The Witmer Formboard was given to one thousand nine hundred sixteen of the experimental group. Those who were crippled in any manner were eliminated from this study. One thousand of age. The eight hundred seventy-three were under sixteen years decile rankings of the first trial records of these cases were comof H. H. Young and M. H. puted according to the standardization
Young.6
The number of cases in each decile and for each age group is given in Table III. There was a negligible sigma difference between the scores of the boys and those of the girls and the results table. The chronological ages were, therefore, combined in one Terman, L. M. Op. tit., p. 72. Young, H. H., & Young, M. H. ords, Psycliol. Clin., 1923, 15, 85-92. 5
6
The Witmer formboard?first trial rec-
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
134
Age-Decile Distribution
of
Table III Experimental Group
on
Witmer Formboard
Decile Total
Age 10
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Adult
56 59 35 39 62 49 68 48 38 28 39 23 12
30 21 20 16 24 18 5 20 5 22 5
Total
556
186
13 20 14 19 19 19 27
11 19 17 6
13
5 11 14 5
21 9 14 11 6 12 3
189
142
23
6 8 9 5
2 12 18 16 8 10 3 11 13 12 3 3 2
147
113
10 13 16 12 30 11 12 8
7
13 15 12
11 13 17
17
17
11 21 23 6 5 9 2 3 2
13 13 4 9
21 7 12 2 7
6 5 10 11 1
139
146
134
10 21 18 11 9 9
106 154 213 193 192
24 20 11 13 9 8 14 15 14
15
151
174 194 159 147 119 113 109 43 13
1916
Note: Young's standardization of Witmer Formboard used.
The deciles are indicated across are indicated in the first column. the top of the table. The figures appearing in the table are the number of cases found in each age-decile unit. In order to compare the test performances of the experimental group with those of an unselected group, the unselected cases examined by the Youngs will be referred to as the control group. In the standardization of the control group, the zero column represented the longest time record for each age. In this table it represents the cases whose time record was the same as, or longer than, the longest time for each age as found in the control group. The 10 column7 represented the shortest time record for each age. In Table III it shows the number of time records that were the same as the shortest time record for each age of the control group. None was shorter than the control group. In determining the
-percentiles
of the control group, each age group
10 units.
Each
decile, therefore, represents given age. The time records
was
divided into
ten per cent of the
of the experimental cases at any group do not conform to the distribution for the control group? there is a preponderance of cases in the 0 column as will be noted from either Table III or Table IV. Table IV indicates the percentage of experimental cases which occurred in each age-decile unit. It indicates the respective percentages for the figures which appear in Table III. 7
Indicated as 100
by Young.
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
135
Table IV Experimental Group
Percentage of Cases
in Each Decile
for Each Age
on
Witmer Formboard
Decile Age
Total 10
0
4 5 6
52.8 38.3 16.4 20.2 32.3 28.2 35.1 30.2
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Adult
14.1
10.9 10.4 9.2 12.4
11.3
25.9
3.4
23.5 34.5 21.1
16.8 4.4 20.2
27.9
11.6
1.9 7.8 8.5 8.3 4.2
12.3
12.1 11.9 3.8
7.3 9.9 10.9
3.1
9.4 8.4 7.5 6.2 15.6
7.5
6.3
5.7
6.2 5.0
6.9
4.8 5.0
8.8 10.1
7.1 8.3
2.7
3.4 7.6 1.8
2.8 4.7
2.8 4.7
8.4 9.4
7.2
9.8
10.8
17.0 15.6 4.2
5.7
9.7
5.3 11.0 7.0
12.8 11.6
9.5 9.2
11.6
1.5
9.7 5.6 8.8
5.7
7.5
10.4 8.4 8.0 8.8 6.8 7.5 2.1 5.7 14.3 5.9 10.6 1.8
10.1
12.6 12.4 7.3
16.3
2.3
2.3
6.5 9.8 9.3
5.7 5.2
99.9
11.3
.5
10.4
1.0
5.7 7.5
.5
4.6 5.0 9.5
1.0
5.7 5.2
4.6 9.4
4.1 4.2 8.8
100.0 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.1 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.9
2.7 1.8
100.0 100.0 100.0
Note: Young's standardization of Witmer Formboard used.
The inferiority of the time records of the experimental group is evidenced by the zero column: e.g., at four years of age the time records of 52.8 per cent of the experimental group were the same as, or inferior to, the poorest time record of the four-year-olds of the control group. Or at year five the time records of 38 per cent of the experimental group were the same as, or inferior to, the poorest time record of the control group.
Although
instances in which individuals of the experimental well
there
were
group did
as
those of the control group, more of the time records of the experimental group fall in the lower deciles. as
Psychological
Conclusions
The psychological diagnosis or conclusion for each case was made according to the Herman H. Young modification of the Goddard classification. The Young classification is not based on the I.Q. alone, but is an index of the ability of the child, inferred by the examiner and based upon all possible types of observations and all the information available in regard to the particular individual. It is an index of the ulopoda of the individual,8 that is, the ultimate limit of possibility of development of abilities. It is a prediction of the complexity and proficiency of performances which could be environment. 8
See
3,
p. 16.
expected
of the individual in the most favorable
136
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC Table V
gives
the classification which
was
used and the
num-
for each clinical conclusion. Here again, we find a percentage of the experimental cases to be of inferior ulo-
ber of
large
cases
Seventeen
poda.
and four tenths per cent
were
classified
as
Table V Distribution of Experimental Cases According to Clinical Conclusions Number of
Conclusion Feebleminded:
Cases 14
Idiot Imbecile
125
Moron
307
Borderline Mental Ability Normal Mental
148
Ability:
Low Normal Mental
208
Ability Ability Slightly Below Average Normal Mental Ability Average Normal Mental Ability Slightly Above Average Normal Mental Ability Above Average Normal Mental Ability Superior Normal Mental Ability Very Superior Normal Mental Ability Very
Low Normal Mental
509 321 549 192 27 140 18 2558
Total
"feebleminded"; 6 per cent were classified as "borderline"; and 41 per cent fell in the classifications between "borderline" and "average normal mental ability." A total of 63.8 per cent of the individuals examined were considered to be inferior to the individual of "average normal mental ability." Of the experimental group 63.8 per cent could not be expected to compete satisfactorily with the average of their respective age groups. Only 21.5 per cent were of were
above
"average normal mental ability"; and 14.7
per cent
"average." Summary
1. Age did not affect the frequency of cases between the ages of five and fifteen. 2. The Binet Test performances of the group as a whole were inferior to those of an unselected group. The distribution of the test scores was not normal but was skewed in favor of the inferior scores. a.
100.
Slightly
more
than 75 per cent of the
cases
fell below
I.Q.
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
137
b. The average I.Q. was 84. 3. The time ratings of the group as a whole on the Witmer Formboard were inferior to those of an unselected group. 4. On the basis of clinical conclusions, 63.8 per cent of the cases were below "average normal mental ability"; 21.5 per cent were of "average normal mental ability" and 14.7 per cent were above ''
average normal mental ability.'' 5. As a whole the test performances of the group of cases referred to a charity hospital by the Indiana courts were inferior to those of
an
unselected group.
Simmons,
Ph.D.
1
The Psychological Clinic of the Indiana University Medical Center was opened February, 1923,2 under the direction of the late Herman H. Young, professor of Clinical Psychology at Indiana
University. It
was
the desire of President W. L.
Bryan,
Dr. Charles P.
Emerson, Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Frank Hutchins, Head of the Department of Nervous and Mental Diseases, Robert E. Administrator of the Medical Center, Miss Ethel P. Clark, Director of the Nurses Training School, and Dr. W. P. Moenning, Chief Resident Physician of Robert Long Hospital, to cooperate with Dr. Young to ascertain what types of cases from a psychological viewpoint came to the Center as free cases. It was necessary
Neff,
for the court to declare a case "indigent" before it was eligible for free services, and the cases therefore came from the inferior economic groups. The purpose of this paper is to present the data from the routine psychometric examinations of "indigent" cases, hereafter referred to as an experimental group, and to indicate what test performances may be expected of individuals who are dependent on The work covers an eight-year period. During this time first under the direction of Herman H. Young and later under the direction of Mary H. Young. Although the work was done in a hospital clinic, no individual was given a psychological examination when he was acutely ill.
charity.
the work
was
made when the individual
was able to leave Because of the fine spirit of cooperation in the hospital, the children looked forward eagerly It was possible to the examination and even begged to be "next." to establish exceptionally fine rapport with practically every child.
Each examination the ward and
was
come
to the clinic rooms.
i Assistant Director of Research, Psychological Clinic, Indiana University Hospitals, 1928-1931. 2 Young, H. H. The Psychological Clime, Indiana University, Indiana University News Letter, 1928, 11, 1-8.
128
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
129
The routine examinations which are tabulated here do not include the entire program of the clinic. Coincident with the testing program, recommendations were made in regard to the disposition of the cases and psychological research was directed in the field of speech, the training of spastics, behavior and personality concerned here, however, only with the trend secured over a period of eight and one-half years, on over two thousand individuals that came from homes of inferior economic status. We
problems.
of the test
The
are
scores
Stanford
Revision
of
the Binet-Simon
Intelligence
Scale
The Stanford Revision of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale given to only 2315 of the total number of 2558 cases. Age, vision, hearing, speech, et cetera, made it impossible in some incould be
stances to
give
this test.
Chronological Age 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Older than 16
Total
The
From
frequency
at the different ages does not vary
Number of
Cases 66 95 139 200 206 203 184 233 198 188 170
168 175 22 68 2315
significantly.
through fifteen it is practically the same at each age. Below five and above fifteen years of age there are fewer cases than at other ages. The small number of cases above fifteen years of age may be due to the fact that individuals sixteen years ?f age or older are not compelled to attend school in Indiana and ages five
not brought to the attention of socio-educational The few cases below five years of age may be due to the fact that most children below six are not yet in school and to the fact that unusual physical or psychological development is not so noticeable to the layman when a child is very young.
are,
therefore,
agencies.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
130
Table I shows the I.Q.3 distribution of the experimental cases from age five through age fourteen. The I.Q.'s have been grouped in intervals of ten. The percentage of cases which occurs at each interval is given. In addition, the cumulative percentage, reading from the lower scores to the higher scores, is indicated. In order to compare the test performances of the experimental group with those of an unselected group, the percentages and the cumulative percentages obtained by Terman with the Stanford Revision of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale,4 are also presented. The unselected
cases
used
by
Terman will be referred to
as
the
con-
trol group.
Any arbitrary unit of I.Q.'s may be compared and it will be noted that the I.Q.'s of the experimental group are definitely inferior to those of the control group. For example, consider the units in which approximately one third of the
I.Q. 's
of the control group occurred:
I.Q.'s of the control group, were lower than 96. I.Q.'s of the experimental group were lower than 96. of the I.Q.'s of the control group were between 96 and 105. of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were between 96
31.3 per cent of the 69.3 per cent of the 33.9 per cent 16.5 per cent and 105.
34.9 per cent of the 14.2 per cent of the
I.Q.'s I.Q.'s
of the control group were above 105. of the experimental group were above 105.
Consider the range between I.Q. 86 and
I.Q.
115.
77.1 per cent of the control group were in this range. 47.5 per cent of the experimental group were in this range.
The distribution of the control group above and below this comparatively equal, but the distribution of the experimental group is definitely weighted at the lower extremity. range is
I.Q.'s of the control group were below 86. I.Q.'s of the control group were above 115. 47.4 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were below 86. 5.2 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were above 115. 11.2 per cent of the 11.8 per cent of the
Or consider the wider range between s
In the
I.Q.
76 and
I.Q.
used the term "Binet Test
125.
Age Quotient" hospital records, Young "Intelligence Quotient." See Young, H. H., Basic points of reference in mental and educational measurements, The Educational Outloolc, 1931, 6, 13-14. The numerical computation was the same as that for the I.Q., and for the sake of clarity '1 I.Q.'' is used in this article. 4 Terman, L. M. The measurement of intelligence, New York, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1916, p. 66. rather
than
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
131
94.7 per cent of the control group were in this range. 69.0 per cent of the experimental group were in this range.
Again, the distribution of the control group above and below this range is comparatively equal, but the distribution of the experimental group is definitely weighted at the lower extremity. I.Q.'s of the control group were below 76. I.Q.'s of the control group were above 125. 29.2 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were below 76. 1.7 per cent of the I.Q.'s of the experimental group were above 125. 2.6 per cent of the 2.8 per cent of the
These results are consistent with previous studies, which have concluded that, as a whole, indigent cases rank lower than unselected cases. In addition to this general trend in correlations between test performance and socio-economic status, two factors should be mentioned which may have been contributive to the large
percentage of inferior scores in the experimental group. They first, the early elimination of these lowest groups from the public schools, where the control cases were obtained; second, the
are:
fact that the noticeably deficient people more easily attract the attention of such social agencies as cooperate with a charity hospital. Table II presents the I.Q. range and the quartiles for each age. The ages have been grouped in twelve-month units; for example, 3 includes all children 3 years 0 months of age to 3 years 11 months of age, inclusive. The median I.Q. at any given age is lower than the approximate median I.Q. of the control group, 100. In the control group, the distribution of I.Q.'s at each age from 5 to 14 was symmetrical. The middle fifty per cent of the I.Q. 's of the
approximately between 93 and 108; that is, Qx was ap93 and Q, was approximately 108. The middle fifty per cent of the I.Q. 's of the experimental group did not conform to this distribution. Qx was lower than 93 at each age and Q, was consistently lower than 108 at each of these ages. Likewise, the range from Qx to Q3 was approximately 15 for the control group, but was greater than 15 for the experimental group. This is not surprising as it scarcely would be anticipated that measures of spread in regard to scores of an unselected group would conform with those of a selected group, such as this experimental group of cases. The distribution of scores of the experimental cases
fell
proximately
group deviates to a marked extent from a normal distribution. At year 15 there was less difference between the median I.Q.'s of the two groups. The median I.Q. of the control group was 90.
132
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
of the experimental group 85. And at year 16, the median I.Q. of the experimental group, 91, was superior to the median I.Q. of the control group, 80. The similarity of scores of these two groups, no doubt, is due to the fact that the 15 and 16 year old children of the control group were "left-over retardates" and "below average in intelligence.'' They would, therefore, be expected to have lower than the younger children of the control group who were an "unselected" group. Both Table I and Table II show that one conclusion is clearly
test
scores
more
truly
Table I Intelligence Quotient Distribution Stanford Revision, Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale Ages 5 to 14 Inclusive Control Group (1)
Experimental Group I.Q. Range
Number of
Percentage of Cases
Cases 55 and below 56- 65 66- 75 76- 85 86- 95
8.6 7.6
164 145 248
96-105
348 417 314
106-115
171
116-125
66
126-135 136-145 Above 145
24 4 4
Total
Cumulative Percentage
Percentage of Cases
8.6 16.2 29.2
13.0 18.3 21.9 16.5 9.0 3.5 1.2 .2 .2
94.9 98.4 99.6
.3 2.3 8.6 20.1 33.9 23.1 9.0 2.3
99.8
.5
47.5 69.4
85.9
Cumulative Percentage
.3
2.6 11.2 31.3
65.2 88.3
97.3 99.6
100.1
100.0
1906
Table II I. Q. Range and Quartiles of Experimental Group Ages Three to Sixteen, Inclusive Chronological Age
Least
I.Q.
61 54 37 36
Greatest I.Q.
Qi
Qa
Qa
167 141
89 88 83
96 94 91 90
107 100 103 100 101 100 99 98
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
38 34 26 35 29 27
13.
25
121
76 72 71 72 70
14. 15. 16.
24 19
129 122 104
63 73
90 87 86 84 82 82 85 91
27
105
60
72
Older than 16
31
..
133 132 136 194 135
137 158 154
77 84 74
63
97 99
100 93 91 93
83
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
133
evident: the test scores of the experimental cases are definitely and consistently inferior, from ages 4 to 15, to the test scores of the control group. In fact, the average I.Q. for the entire experimental group is 84.2, which is 15.8 points lower than the Terman. Stated approximate average I.Q. of 100 obtained by cent of the experimental cases had I.Q.'s of another 76 way,
per
100 or less. The average I.Q. of 84.2 for the experimental group is also 8.8 points lower than the average I.Q. of 93 obtained by Terman for the group of children selected from among his unselected group and designated as "inferior social class."5 A possible explanation of the lower ranking of the Indiana University Medical Center Group is that the criteria for social classification ' used the teachers who selected Terman's inferior social class
by included
social group above the level that would be declared "indigent" by a court. It is a justifiable prediction, on the basis of the results obtained at the Medical Center, that individuals who are dependent on an unselected group on the charity will as a group rank inferior to Intelligence Scale. This Binet-Simon the of Stanford Revision a
individuals will make
prediction does not imply, however, that The I.Q. s of the superior scores. The facts are to the contrary. to 194, but fewer superior 24 from experimental group ranged the control group. Only scores were made by this group than by no
24 per cent of the experimental cases had I.Q.'s above had approximately 50 per cent of the control group 100. Results of the Witmer Formboard
100, whereas I.Q.'s above
The Witmer Formboard was given to one thousand nine hundred sixteen of the experimental group. Those who were crippled in any manner were eliminated from this study. One thousand of age. The eight hundred seventy-three were under sixteen years decile rankings of the first trial records of these cases were comof H. H. Young and M. H. puted according to the standardization
Young.6
The number of cases in each decile and for each age group is given in Table III. There was a negligible sigma difference between the scores of the boys and those of the girls and the results table. The chronological ages were, therefore, combined in one Terman, L. M. Op. tit., p. 72. Young, H. H., & Young, M. H. ords, Psycliol. Clin., 1923, 15, 85-92. 5
6
The Witmer formboard?first trial rec-
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC
134
Age-Decile Distribution
of
Table III Experimental Group
on
Witmer Formboard
Decile Total
Age 10
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Adult
56 59 35 39 62 49 68 48 38 28 39 23 12
30 21 20 16 24 18 5 20 5 22 5
Total
556
186
13 20 14 19 19 19 27
11 19 17 6
13
5 11 14 5
21 9 14 11 6 12 3
189
142
23
6 8 9 5
2 12 18 16 8 10 3 11 13 12 3 3 2
147
113
10 13 16 12 30 11 12 8
7
13 15 12
11 13 17
17
17
11 21 23 6 5 9 2 3 2
13 13 4 9
21 7 12 2 7
6 5 10 11 1
139
146
134
10 21 18 11 9 9
106 154 213 193 192
24 20 11 13 9 8 14 15 14
15
151
174 194 159 147 119 113 109 43 13
1916
Note: Young's standardization of Witmer Formboard used.
The deciles are indicated across are indicated in the first column. the top of the table. The figures appearing in the table are the number of cases found in each age-decile unit. In order to compare the test performances of the experimental group with those of an unselected group, the unselected cases examined by the Youngs will be referred to as the control group. In the standardization of the control group, the zero column represented the longest time record for each age. In this table it represents the cases whose time record was the same as, or longer than, the longest time for each age as found in the control group. The 10 column7 represented the shortest time record for each age. In Table III it shows the number of time records that were the same as the shortest time record for each age of the control group. None was shorter than the control group. In determining the
-percentiles
of the control group, each age group
10 units.
Each
decile, therefore, represents given age. The time records
was
divided into
ten per cent of the
of the experimental cases at any group do not conform to the distribution for the control group? there is a preponderance of cases in the 0 column as will be noted from either Table III or Table IV. Table IV indicates the percentage of experimental cases which occurred in each age-decile unit. It indicates the respective percentages for the figures which appear in Table III. 7
Indicated as 100
by Young.
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
135
Table IV Experimental Group
Percentage of Cases
in Each Decile
for Each Age
on
Witmer Formboard
Decile Age
Total 10
0
4 5 6
52.8 38.3 16.4 20.2 32.3 28.2 35.1 30.2
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Adult
14.1
10.9 10.4 9.2 12.4
11.3
25.9
3.4
23.5 34.5 21.1
16.8 4.4 20.2
27.9
11.6
1.9 7.8 8.5 8.3 4.2
12.3
12.1 11.9 3.8
7.3 9.9 10.9
3.1
9.4 8.4 7.5 6.2 15.6
7.5
6.3
5.7
6.2 5.0
6.9
4.8 5.0
8.8 10.1
7.1 8.3
2.7
3.4 7.6 1.8
2.8 4.7
2.8 4.7
8.4 9.4
7.2
9.8
10.8
17.0 15.6 4.2
5.7
9.7
5.3 11.0 7.0
12.8 11.6
9.5 9.2
11.6
1.5
9.7 5.6 8.8
5.7
7.5
10.4 8.4 8.0 8.8 6.8 7.5 2.1 5.7 14.3 5.9 10.6 1.8
10.1
12.6 12.4 7.3
16.3
2.3
2.3
6.5 9.8 9.3
5.7 5.2
99.9
11.3
.5
10.4
1.0
5.7 7.5
.5
4.6 5.0 9.5
1.0
5.7 5.2
4.6 9.4
4.1 4.2 8.8
100.0 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.1 100.0 100.0 100.0 99.9
2.7 1.8
100.0 100.0 100.0
Note: Young's standardization of Witmer Formboard used.
The inferiority of the time records of the experimental group is evidenced by the zero column: e.g., at four years of age the time records of 52.8 per cent of the experimental group were the same as, or inferior to, the poorest time record of the four-year-olds of the control group. Or at year five the time records of 38 per cent of the experimental group were the same as, or inferior to, the poorest time record of the control group.
Although
instances in which individuals of the experimental well
there
were
group did
as
those of the control group, more of the time records of the experimental group fall in the lower deciles. as
Psychological
Conclusions
The psychological diagnosis or conclusion for each case was made according to the Herman H. Young modification of the Goddard classification. The Young classification is not based on the I.Q. alone, but is an index of the ability of the child, inferred by the examiner and based upon all possible types of observations and all the information available in regard to the particular individual. It is an index of the ulopoda of the individual,8 that is, the ultimate limit of possibility of development of abilities. It is a prediction of the complexity and proficiency of performances which could be environment. 8
See
3,
p. 16.
expected
of the individual in the most favorable
136
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC Table V
gives
the classification which
was
used and the
num-
for each clinical conclusion. Here again, we find a percentage of the experimental cases to be of inferior ulo-
ber of
large
cases
Seventeen
poda.
and four tenths per cent
were
classified
as
Table V Distribution of Experimental Cases According to Clinical Conclusions Number of
Conclusion Feebleminded:
Cases 14
Idiot Imbecile
125
Moron
307
Borderline Mental Ability Normal Mental
148
Ability:
Low Normal Mental
208
Ability Ability Slightly Below Average Normal Mental Ability Average Normal Mental Ability Slightly Above Average Normal Mental Ability Above Average Normal Mental Ability Superior Normal Mental Ability Very Superior Normal Mental Ability Very
Low Normal Mental
509 321 549 192 27 140 18 2558
Total
"feebleminded"; 6 per cent were classified as "borderline"; and 41 per cent fell in the classifications between "borderline" and "average normal mental ability." A total of 63.8 per cent of the individuals examined were considered to be inferior to the individual of "average normal mental ability." Of the experimental group 63.8 per cent could not be expected to compete satisfactorily with the average of their respective age groups. Only 21.5 per cent were of were
above
"average normal mental ability"; and 14.7
per cent
"average." Summary
1. Age did not affect the frequency of cases between the ages of five and fifteen. 2. The Binet Test performances of the group as a whole were inferior to those of an unselected group. The distribution of the test scores was not normal but was skewed in favor of the inferior scores. a.
100.
Slightly
more
than 75 per cent of the
cases
fell below
I.Q.
STATISTICAL RESULTS OF TESTING PROGRAM
137
b. The average I.Q. was 84. 3. The time ratings of the group as a whole on the Witmer Formboard were inferior to those of an unselected group. 4. On the basis of clinical conclusions, 63.8 per cent of the cases were below "average normal mental ability"; 21.5 per cent were of "average normal mental ability" and 14.7 per cent were above ''
average normal mental ability.'' 5. As a whole the test performances of the group of cases referred to a charity hospital by the Indiana courts were inferior to those of
an
unselected group.
