The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould

(^240) THE MISMEASURE OF MAN
The examination itself is also worth reprinting (Fig. 5.5). Best of
luck with pig tails, crab legs, bowling balls, tennis nets, and the
Jack's missing diamond, not to mention the phonograph horn (a
real stumper for my students). Yerkes provided the following
instructions for grading:
Rules for Individual Items
Item 4.—Any spoon at any angle in right hand receives credit. Left hand,
or unattached spoon, no credit.
Item 5.—Chimney must be in right place. No credit for smoke.
Item 6.— Another ear on same side as first receives no credit.
Item 8.—Plain square, cross, etc., in proper location for stamp, receives
credit.
Item 10.—Missing part is the rivet. Line of "ear" may be omitted.
Item 13.—Missing part is leg.
Item 15.—Ball should be drawn in hand of man. If represented in hand
of woman, or in motion, no credit.
Item 16.—Single line indicating net receives credit.
Item 18.—Any representation intended for horn, pointing in any direc-
tion, receives credit.
Item 19.—Hand and powder puff must be put on proper side.
Item 20.—Diamond is the missing part. Failure to complete hilt on sword
is not an error.
The seventh and last test, geometrical construction, required
that a square be broken into component pieces. Its ten parts were
allotted two and a half minutes.
I believe that the conditions of testing, and the basic character
of the examination, make it ludicrous to believe that Beta mea-
sured any internal state deserving the label intelligence. Despite
the plea for geniality, the examination was conducted in an almost
frantic rush. Most parts could not be finished in the time allotted,
but recruits were not forewarned. My students compiled the fol-
lowing record of completions on the seven parts (see p. 242).
For two of the tests, digit symbols and number checking (4 and 5),
most students simply couldn't write fast enough to complete the
ninety and fifty items, even though the protocol was clear to all.
The third test with a majority of incompletes, cube counting (num-
ber 2), was too difficult for the number of items included and the
time allotted.
In summary, many recruits could not see or hear the examiner;