Challenging the Immigrant
The Ellis Island intelligence tests, 1915
Challenging the Immigrant
- An officer of the U.S. Public Health Service administers an intelligence test; the caption from 1915 describes the test subject as a “mentally defective immigrant woman” who was performing the “cube test” apparently not well as she had “but little success, having failed in three out of four trials.” If she failed because of performance anxiety—probably not surprising given the new and bewildering surroundings immigrants found themselves in (and being asked to perform strange tasks)—the author does point out that “allowance must always be made for fear and mental stress under which the subject may be laboring, and two or more separate examinations on different days may be necessary.”
- Imagination is important too. Our original caption says: “The inkblot imagination tests. The subject is asked about each blot, ‘What does this look like and what does it remind you of ?’ The answers given should be logical and sensible, and it would not be so to call ‘1’ a tree or a star, but it would be quite reasonable to call it a snake, a river, or a pennant, and it would also be well within the realm of sense to call ‘2’ a bear, ‘5’ a house or a hat, and ‘6’ a butterfly or an umbrella. (Imagination is an important possession, no great achievement was ever accomplished without it.) Many defectives, having no imagination at all, will say, ‘I don't know’ about each blot excepting perhaps ‘1’ and ‘3,’ which are very easy.”
