Backwardness in the basic subjects / by Fred. J. Schonell.

  • Schonell, F. J. (Fred Joyce)
Date:
[1942]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Backwardness in the basic subjects / by Fred. J. Schonell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    39/592 (page 15)
    _and continuity of intellectual power used in attending is conditioned by. intensity of the stimulus—often having an emotional basis—and the emotional stability of the pupil attending. Measurement of Specific Intellectual Capacities From the foregoing discussion it will be inferred that, in- considering the specific intellectual capacities of pupils who are backward in school work, it is of greater importance to note, as far as possible, the emotional conditions that are hindering memorising or reasoning or accurate perception than to try to assess the power of memory, reasoning or perception as such. Tests have been devised which purport to measure specific intellectual capacities in an abstract way. Reproduction of nonsense syllables is for example deemed to be an indication of proficiency in mechanical memory. It may follow that the pupil who does poorly in memorising nonsense syllables will fail with history dates or arithmetic tables, but, in general, inferences about special intellectual qualities are best limited to particular media. A pupil who reasons badly with figures may do excellently with history - facts. Occasionally one wishes to estimate the strength of a specific intellectual capacity apart from the medium in which a pupil has been failing. Here the test material should be similar to that of the school subject in which the pupil is backward, but selected with sufficient care to _ exclude possible inhibiting emotional influences. Such a test sometimes reveals intellectual weaknesses or misunderstand- ings which are not detected in ordinary classroom work. Illustrative of this are very simple diagnostic word tests for backward readers and spellers. Tests for specific intellectual capacities can be profitably supplemented by careful observation. Acquired Attainments and their Measurement Consideration of the intellectual characteristics that contribute towards the formation of individual differences would be incomplete without reference to the acquired