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"^ 1928
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I'
LOS ANGELES
STATE NORMAL SCHOO'
UNEMPLOYMENT AND FEEBLE - MINDEDNESS
BY
GLENN R. JOHNSON
[Note: These reprints are sent to subscribers because of certain errors
in Mr. Johnson's article, as originally printed. Through an unfortunate
circumstance, two of the misplaced lines appeared in Dr. Pintner's
review, page 99, lines 18 and 19. These should be deleted.]
REPRINTED FROM THE JOURNAL OF DELINQUENCY
VOLUME 2, NO. 2, MARCH 1917
33112
\. ^ LOS ANGELES
^ STATE NORMAL SCHOOi
UNEMPLOYMENT AND FEEBLE-MINDEDNESS
GLENN R. JOHNSON*
Columbia University
This paper is based on a psychological study of unemplDyment
its relation to feeble-mindedness. The Stanford revision of the Jiinet-
Simon Scale and five Reed College tests have been applied to 107
destitute unemployed men picked at random from among the unem-
ployed in Portland, Oregon, during the unemployment season of
1914-15. The tests were supplemented by a questionnaire.
Industrial conditions on the Pacific Coast are not conducive to
steady employment. The unemployment problem is one of seasonal
industry. Fruit and grains ripen early in Southern California. As the
season advances the crops to the north gradually mature. Casual la-
borers migrate to the north in search of continuous employment. In
October, the last of the harvests are gathered in Washington. In the
vrinter months there is very little work to be obtained in the coun-
try districts, consequently, thousands of men congregate in the larger
cities, where few can be employed. In addition to these casual work-
ers, there is a large increment of loggers and sawmill hands who are
forced into idleness owing to the shutting down of the timber industry
due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Some of these men have saved enough money to tide them through
the winter. Others have not been able to save enough to main-
tain themselves in idleness for many months. Still others have
squandered their money in gambling and drinking and have thert
by become destitute. Mingled among these men are numerous pro
fessional beggars and tramps and physical and mental defectives
The men mentioned above congregate in the slums of the various
coast cities. Their usual environments have been sucn as to make
them seek the company commonly found in saloons or cheap lodging
houses. One of these men may come to town with the best of in-
tentions to live within his means and remain sober. But the only
*Formerly associated with Dr. Eleanor Rowland, Reed College.
(59)
fiO The Joiirncil of Delinquency
places wIkti' Ik- is wcIcoi'hmI arc tlu; tt'iuliTloiii resorts. He has no
iiicliimtioii lO go lo cliurcli, n-iitl at tlie library, or mix witli local social
groups. Most of these meii are imt very well educated, are poorly clad,
do not have much money, and are not sanguine of the future. They
are not welconuMl among the so called better social groups and are
too proud to accept the hosi)itality of those who are inclined to be
condescending. Comi)liauce with the rules of charitable social centers
require too much inhibition. Besides, there are too few of these places.
Saloons are the most enticing lounging places. With a few drinks
all good intentions are thrown to the four winds, and destitution
comes quickly.
During several winter seasons, the writer mingled among the un-
employed men gathered in the slums of Portland, Oi'egon. It wa«
observed that many of the unemployed men seemed stupid or feeble-
minded. It was pretty certain that some were actually feeble-minded,
out it was impossible to determine from casual observation what per-
centage were defective.
I Mental defectiveness among vagrant women indicates that feeble-
mindedness is associated with the problem of unemployment as well.
Psychological tests given to women detained in houses of correction
have established the startling fact that from 25 per cent to 50 per
cent are feeble-minded. Dr. Davis of the Bedford Reformatory for
Women has found that out of 647 cases there were 20 of insanity, 107
of feeble-mindedness, and 193 of mental defectiveness according to the
Binet mental tests. Thus, 320 or about 50 per cent were mentally de-
fective. Other pyschological investigations seem to indicate that these
percentages of feeble-mindedness hold for the prostitute class as a
whole.
The Portland, Oregon, Vice Commission, after a thorough investi-
gation, reported that there were in Portland approxnnately 2,500
prostitutes. If 25 to 50 per cent of these women were mentally de-
fective, then there were in Portland 625 to 1,250 who were feeble-
minded. If this is true for the women of this class, U is to be ex-
pected from the knowledge we have of biology, that there is a similar
number of feeble-minded men in the same population. The factors
making for normality or abnormality are to be found in the germ cells.
One chance out of two or fifty chances out of one hundred the germ
cells develop into the male sex. Since feeble-mindedness is hereditary
Unemployment and Feeble-Mindedness 61
and follows the Mendelian laws of inheritance*, one would expect to
tind the same number of feeble-minded men with the mental traits
of feeble-minded prostitutes.
Where there is stagnation in labor conditions, one would expect
that the first ones to be thrown out of employment would be those who
were mentally backward, and who were working on the margin of
productivity. Those who are mentally inferior could not hold their
positions when in competition with more intelligent people. Those who
are out of work in the largest numbers are the ones who follow un-
skilled or seasonal occupations. Men who are mentally inferior would
follow such occupations and hence be the first to be thrown out of
employment when business conditions become slack. Their earnings
would not be large and besides, they would not be apt to manage the
expenditure of the earnings properly. Therefore, the ^ntally back-
ward men would be among those who are likely to be destitute during
the unemployment season.
In the winter of 1914-15, Portland maintained two large head-
quarters for destitute men. One of these places was a large old-
fashioned abandoned lodging house in the North End or slum district
of the city. The city paid a nominal sum for rent. The 750 men who
sought refuge there co-operated in order to live as cheaply as pos-
sible. Benevolent citizens supplied them with flour and other pn«-
visions ; but the supply of provisions was extremely meager. There
were less than twenty beds in the house, so most of the men had to
sleep on bare floors. As a rule, these men were independent. They
scorned condescending philanthrophy. Many of the men Avere In-
dustrial Workers of the World and Socialists. Tlie otlier municipal
lodging h^use was located in a large old racant laundry building
on the East Portland water front. Rough bunks were constructed
for the men, A wood yard was operated in connection. The men
worked up rafts of logs into salal)le cord wood which was sold by the
city in order to pay expenses. Meals were supplied to those men who
presented meal checks given to them for working in the Avood yard.
On the average, 620 men found daily refuge and lodging in this place.
There were numerous othei" places where .destitute unemployed
men gathered. The Associated Charities looked after rlie welfare of
450 men; Jewish and Catholic organizations provided for 350 men;
the Salvation Army lodging house and other private benevolent insti-
tutions quartered about 400 each night; The Married Workers' Asso-
•H. H. Goddard, Feeble-Mindedness, pp. 547, 533 et seq.
i]2 The Journal of Delinquency
ciation ciinillcl (i.')!). On April IT), llil,"), 1 list<'(l iJ.filO dfcrtiitute unem-
pluyeil iin'ii (lunrU'i't'd at tlic al)ove imiiMMl places, lu udditioii to this
iimnhor tliero were many huiidred others wlio were staying at cheap
iodt^'ing houses, walicing the streets, or wlio were being cared for by
friends. On any given night during tiie unemployment season, there
were proljably more than 5,000 idle destitute men in Portland.
The Stanford Revision of the Binet Scale was selected as com-
prising the best mental tests. The Binet tests have beT»n modified in
order to meet the requirements called for by extensive empirical
studies. Tests for average adults and superior adults have been added.
The range of the mental tests is between three years and nineteen
years mental ages. The sixteen year level approximates average adult
intelligence. The eighteen year level is that of superior adult in-
telligeuee.
In addition to the Binet Scale five tests given to 249 Reed College
students were used. One of these tests was for logical memory, an-
other for attention, and three for suggestibility. The tests were sup-
plemented by a questionnaire in order to bring out various factors
of environment and heredity.
The tests were given to the men in a secluded room of a business
building in the central part of the city. Few people or noises in-
terfered with the rapport of the subjects. Men were selected at ran-
dom, and great care was taken so that the group tested would be a
typical non-selected group of the destitute unemployed men as a whole.
Foreigners other than English speaking people w^ere eliminated. All
men who submitted to the tests were rewarded with money, meal
tickets, or useful articles. With few exceptions, the men submitted
to the tests gracefully and seemingly performed to the best of their
abilities. There was only one man who did not try to do his best. But
even this man tried to do as well as he could for the major portions of
the tests. Two other men refused to take the tests when they learned
the nature of them.
The time required to give the tests ranged from one hour and
fifteen minutes to two hours and a half. The usual time was about
two hours. The Stanford Revision tests required from an hour to
one and one-half hours, the usual time being about one and one-
quarter hours. The Reed College tests took from fifteen to thirty min-
utes. The questionnaire required about fifteen minutes or less.
Unemployment and Feeble-Mindedness 63
107 men were selected at random from the following
places: The Associated Charities, the Old Troy Laundry, the Unem-
ployment Union, the Portland Commons, and the city employment
bureau. The places from whence the men came and their numbers
are as follows :
The Commons 12 Cases Troy Laundry 31 Cases
Unemployment Union ...... 29 Cases City Emp. Bureau 9 Cases
Associated Charities 26 Cases
Those who came from the Commons tested the highest. Then came in
order the Unemployed Union, Troy Laundry, City Employment
Bureau, and the Associated Charities.
The average age was 33 years, 9 months. The average mental age
was 14 years, 5 months. The median mental age wus 14 years, 7
months.
The average ages and mental ages of the men from the various
places are shown in the following table :
No. Av. Age Av. Mental Age
Commons 12 38 Yrs. 9 Mo. 15 Yrs. 8 i\lo.
Unemployed Union 29 30 Yrs. 4 Mo. 15 Yrs. 7 Mo.
Troy Laundry 31 33 Yrs. 10 ]\Io. 14 Yrs. 7 Mo.
City Emp. Bu 9 32 Yrs. 13 Yrs. 6 Mo.
Asso. Charities 26 34 Yrs. 13 Yrs. 3 Mo.
107 33 Yrs. 9 Mo. 14 Yrs. 5 Mo.
The following table shows the number of men according to age
and those in each group who tested high and low. Those who tested
under the median of 14 years, 7 months, are considered low and those
who tested above that age, high.
No. High Low
Under 20 5 3 2
20-29 36 17 19
30-39 35 17 18
40-49 „...„ - 23 12 11
50 and over _ _ _..._ 8 3 5
Total 107 52 55
64 The Journal of Delinquency
l\n\v nicM or nO ptT t-ciit of those over 50 years of age tested under 12
yi'jir nieiitiil at,'e and are prol)al)ly feel)le-minded.
The followiiig table shows lliu imiiilxT of uum from the varioua
places who tested average adult or siii)C'rior udult:
No. Per Cent
Commons f'» ^0
Unemployment Union 12 41
Troy Laundry 8 26
Asso. Charities 3 12
City Emp. Bureau 1 11
Total 30 28
If those adults who test less than twelve years mental age are
considered to be feeble-minded, then there were at the various places
the percentages shown in the following table :
No. Cases
Commons _ _ 1 2
Tnein ployed Union 29
Troy Laundry _ 31
City Emp. Bureau 9
Asso. Charities _ - 26
Total - _ 107 19 18
If under 13 yea.'s mental age is considered feeble-mindedness,
then the following table will show^ the degree of mental defectiveness :
No. Cases
Commons 12
Unemployed Union _ 29
Troy Laundry 31
City Emp. Bureau 9
Asso. Charities _ 26
Total ™ 107 28 26
elow 12
Per Cent of Total
1
8
7
23
2
22
9
35
Below 13
Per cent
1
8
2
7
11
36
2
22
12
46
Unemployment and Feeble-Mindedness 65
If under 14 years mental age is considered mental backwardness
then the following table shows the extent of backwardness :
No. Cases
Commons .„ _ _ 12
Unemployed Union 29
Troy Laundry „ 31
City Emp. Bureau 9
Asso. Charities _ _. ... 26
Below 14
Per Cent
3
25
10
34
12
39
4
44
16
62
107 45 42
If under 14 years mental age is the low adult level as Professor
Terman is led to consider by his tests of uneducated working people,
then there are among those I have tested, 63, or 58 per cent who are
low and superior adults in intelligence.
The results of these tests have been measured quantatively. It
will be noted that most of the questions referred to in the following
pages are questions of association. For instance, the question whether
those who pass high tests have better vocabularies than those who pass
low tests is a matter of association. Are high tests associated with
large vocabularies? If this is true then there is a relation or associa-
tion between high tests and large vocabularies.
High tests were correlated with the following factors :
1.
Large vocabularies.
2.
Jobs requiring high intelligence.
3.
Good logical memory.
4.
Good education.
5.
High suggestibility (line test).
6.
High suggestibility (weight).
7.
High suggestibility (weight).
8.
Wildness in youth.
9.
Good attention.
10.
Long jobs.
Since the median mental age was 14 years, 7 months, all who are
above that age are considered as having passed high tests. Those be-
66 The Journal of Delinquency
low thai iiH'iital age are designated as having passed low tests. With
the exception of the faetor of wildness in youth, the median was as-
sumed to he the dividing line lietvveen "high" and "low".
The correlation between high tests and large vocabularies is plus
O.nS, with a i)r()l)al)le error of 0.14 (107 eases examined). The median
nuinher of words delined was 56 of the representative list of 100.
This number represents a vocabulary of 10,080 words. Among the 54
men who passed high tests, 45 men explained the meaning of more than
56 worils whereas 9 men explained less than 56 words. Among the 5.'i
men who tested under the median mental age, 8 explained more than 56
words and 45 men explained less than 56 words.
Tlie correlation between high tests and high intelligence jobs was
plus 0.5G, with a probable error of 0.17. The question regarding jobs
was answered by 96 men. Among these, 45 tested high and 51 tested
low. Of the 45 who tested high, 34 had worked at jobs requiring high
intelligence while 11 had worked at jobs requiring low intelligence
only. Among the 51 who tested low, 10 had worked at jobs requiring
high intelligence, whereas 41 had worked at jobs requiring low intelli-
gence only.
The correlation between high mental tests and good logical mem-
ory was plus 0.42 with a probable error of 0.20 (86 cases) 47 of these
men tested high and 39 tested low. Of the 47 who tested above the
median, 33 had good logical memory while 14 had poor logical memory.
Of the 39 men who tested low, 11 had good logical memory while 28 had
poor logical memory. This test is based on a short narrative in which
ten ideas are logically connected. The story was read twice to each
subject w^ho was then asked to repeat as many points as he could re-
member. If the subject could remember all points, he was given a
score of 10. If he could remember nothing lie was scored 0. The median
was 4.
The same test was given to 249 Reed College students. The median
was 7. Four-tenths of one per cent of Reed College students gave two
or less than two memories whereas 35 per cent of the unemployed men
gave two or less than two memories. Six per cent of Reed College
students remembered four or less than four points whereas 55 per cent
of the unemployed men remembered four or less than Tour points.
The correlation between high tests and good education was plus
0.23 with a probable error of 0.19. The correlation is 0.00 when the
Unemployment and Feehle-Mindedness ^7
in Portland. Out of the 107 men tested there were 19 who were under
feeble-minded cases are eliminated. All of the feeble-minded subjects
failed to reach the higher grammar school grades in spite of the fact
that several attended school until manhood. Ninety-seven men stated the
extent of their formal education. Forty-nine of these passed high tests
and 48 low tests. Among those who were above the median in intelli-
gence, 30 were above and 19 below the median in education. Of those
who were below the median of intelligence, 18 were above and 30 below
the median of education.
The correlation between high mental and high suggestibility tests
in the line suggestibility test was minus 0.18 with a probable error of
0.21. In other words, there was a positive correlation between low
mental tests and high suggestibility. Eighty-three men took this test.
Forty -four of these passed high and 39 passed low mental tests. Of those
who tested high, 18 were above and 26 below the median in suggesti-
bility. Of those who tested low 23 were above and 16 below the median
of suggestibility.
In the second weight suggestion test there was a correlation of
minus 0.01 between high mental tests and high suggestibility, with a
probable error of 0.21. Ninety-one men took this test, of whom 48 were
above and 43 below the intelligence median. Of the 48 who were above
the intelligence median, 24 were above and 24 below the median of sug-
gestibility. Of the 43 below the intelligence median, 22 were above
and 21 below the median of suggestibility.
There was a correlation of minus 0.16 between high performance in
mental tests and high suggestibility in the test with weight sugges-
tion blocks. The probable error is 0.15. Ninety men took this test, of
the 46 above the intelligence median, 19 were high and 27 low in sug-
gestibility. Among the 44 below the intelligence median, 25 were high
and 19 low in suggestibility.
The correlation between high mental tests and good attention
was plus 0.20 with a probable error of 0.21. Eighty-two men took the
test. Of these, 42 were above and 40 below the median of intelligence.
Of the 42 above the intelligence median, 25 were above and 17 below
the attention median. The same test was given to 249 Reed College stu-
dents. Only six unemployed men made better records in the attention
test than the median attention of the college students. Thus, only 7
per cent of the unemployed men showed better attention aliility than
the lower half of the college group.
G8 T/ic Journal of Delinquency
Thfi eorrclatioii bi-twccn lii^'li test perfonnaiu'c and parental care in
youth was pins 0.04 uilli a jtrohahlo error of O.HJ. Ninety-four men
answered I lie (jueslioM in re^';ird to wildness in youth. Forty-nine of
these passed hij;h tests and 4") passed low. Of the 41) above the intelli-
gence median, 27 did not and 22 did run wild as boys.
01" !)7 men, 'M, or 38 per cent had trades. Of the 24 who tested the
lowest there were 7 who learned trades. As a I'ule, the men started to
work at early ages.
The reasons given for coming west were of the usual nature. Some
wanted to better tiieir conditions, others had heard the west advertised,
and others "just wanted to see the country".
A large percentage of the men had accepted charity of various
sorts, but there were others who said they never accepted free help.
The men as a wdiole had dissipated a great deal. Nearly all the
men were victims of some of the usual vices. Eighty per cent of the
men admitted visiting prostitutes.
Very few of the men stated that their parents or relatives had been
in insane, feeble-minded, or other kinds of institutions. They seemed
rather shy in ansAvering questions having to do with inherited defects
in their parents or relatives. In this respect, the questions concerning
heredity were of little value.
Among the fathers of the unemployed men who were tested, 55 had
skilled trades or professions, and 33 were unskilled. Seventeen of the
men testing below the median had fathers who were not skilled in any
occupation. Nineteen men did not answer the question concerning the
occupation of the father. Of twelve men passing the lowest tests, 11
had fathers who were common laborers or otherwise unskilled, and the
father of the twelfth man was insane.
Dissipation did not seem to affect the efficiency of some of the men.
A few of them who tested superior adults were victims of extreme
dissipation. Thus, environment in some cases did not seem to affect
the intelligence. Of course, there was no way to show that if cer-
tain men had not been in bad environments they would have tested
higher. Nevertheless, it is significant that extreme dissipation in some
cases did not affect the intelligence appreciably.
One of the unexpected developments of the tests was to find that
long jobs are correlated with low tests, rather than long jobs with
high tests. In connection with this fact it is well to note the gen-
eral attitude of those who tested low compared with that of those who
Unemployment and Feeble-Mindedness 69
tested high. As a rule, those who tested low were plodders and did
not seem to grow impatient with the tasks given them. On the other
hand, those who tested high were more or less flighty and would be
satisfied with an approximate answer. Herein may lie the reason
why the less intelligent can hold their positions for a long period of
time. They work steadily without becoming impatient. It is diflB-
cult to arouse antagonism in them. Thus, by becoming used to some
when he hires them for simple work. The restless ones who, as a rule,
given task, they get the routine habit and can please the employer
pass the higher tests, are more apt to be provoked to rashness or dis-
content, and as a consequence more liable to resign a position or look
for a change. Even those who were lowest in the tests held long jobs.
Of 24 who passed the lowest tests, 10 held short jobs only, whereas 14
held at least one long job, recently. However, when those who tested
low did lose their jobs they were often idle six months or more before
they were able to get other jobs.
I have stated that 25 to 50 per cent of all prostitutes are feeble-
minded or mentally defective. The Portland Vice Commission reported
the number of this class in Portland to be 2,500. If the general ratio
of mental defectiveness holds, there are from 625 to 1.250 mentally
defective women among them. The assumption was then made that
there should be, biologically speaking, at least the same number among
the men of the same population. The probable group among whom they
would be found would be the destitute unemployed men. Now, let us
see what light the tests on the 107 men will throw on the probable num-
ber of mentally defective men in Portland. Nineteen men or
18 per cent of the 107, tested under twelve years mental age.
The known destitute unemployed men on April 15, 1915, was
3,600. If 18 per cent were mentally defective, then there
were in Portland about 600 unemployed defective men. This is approxi-
mately the number equal to the minimum estimate of the feeble-minded
prostitutes in Portland. If those under thirteen years mental age are
considered feeble-minded, then there were 28 men or 26 per cent of
those tested who were feeble-minded, — or at least mentally backward.
If the ratio holds good for the 3,600 destitute men, then there were
about 900 out of the known total who were feeble-minded. This is
less than the maximum estimated. If we take the maximum estimate
of unemployed and the minumum estimated percentage of feeble-raind-
edness we have about 1,800 feeble-minded. If 26 per cent of the maxi-
70 The Journal of Delinquency
uiurn were rccljlc-niindod llicn tliore were 2,600 mentally defective men
12 years in inttlli^ciict', Imt there were three out of tlu; nine in the
l2-3'ear-a^(! k'<'"I' ^\1'^> were i'echlc-niinded and ahsolutely unable to
manage tlieir own afl'airs with ordinary prudence. This would make
a total of 22, or 21 per cent of the 107 men tested. If tliis percentage
holds good for the .'{.OOO known dostitute unemployed men, then there
were in Portland about 700 mentally defective men who were unem-
ployed. If 21 per cent of the maximum (10,000) were aefective, then
there were 2,100. Since a large number of the 10,000 destitute unem-
ployed men were transients, there would be a considerable less num-
ber than 2,100 in Portland at any one time who were feeble-minded.
Still, when it is remembered that those who made the Portland school
survey stated that there were 2 per cent of the school population who
were mentally backward and 1 per cent who were mentally defective,
the maximum estimate I have made does not seem too large. If 2 9^ of
the school children were mentally backward, and one per cent feeble-
minded, then there were in the city schools 600 who were backward
and 300 who were defective. If this same ratio holds good for the
whole population of the city then there were 5,000 mentally backward,
2,500 of whom were defective.
Professor Terraan, referring to the tests which we have used in
our tests of the unemployed says: — "I am led to think that what we
have regarded as the average adult intelligence, namely, the sixteen-
year level, will really turn out to be the average for ordinary adults;
that what we have termed superior adult intelligence will only be
found among adults who are decidedly superior in ability ; and that the
fourteen-year level may reasonably be called the low adult average. I
think a majority of the people who test between thirteen, and, say
fourteen and one-half and fifteen, are decidedly dull, but by no means
necessarily dull enough to be considered by other people as feeble-
minded. Even twelve-year intelligence, I think, can make fairly good
success in life, provided it is backed up by honesty, industry, and a
reasonably agreeable personality."
Professor Terman says further: "Our recent tests of adults indi-
cate that average intelligent, but ordinarily successful men test about
sixteen years, at least we found that half tested between fifteen and
seventeen; one-fourth between seventeen and nineteen; and one-fourth
between thirteen and one-half and fifteen. One tested only slightly
above twelve."
Unemployment and Feeble-Mindedness 71
Thus Professor Terman in his tests of the ordinarily successful
men, found only one who tested less than thirteen, whereas we found
28 out of 107 unemployed in Portland who tested less than thirteen
years by the same tests. A good indication that most of these 28 men
are feeble-minded is brought out by the school records made by the sub-
jects as shown by the questionnaire. One man started to school when
he was six and quit in the fifth grade when he was 20 years old. An-
other man entered school when he was seven years old, attended con-
stantly until he was 14, quitting school when he was in the third grade.
Another man went to school until he was eighteen years old. By that
time he was in the low sixth. Another man went to school until he was
seventeen, reaching the fourth grade. Several others had similar school
experiences.
An incident showing the ability of one who passed a very low test
is the following : Mr. Manning, general secretary of the Associated
Charities, of Portland, sent S. on an errand. He gave S. a note to the
proprietor of a certain bakery, who was to give a sack of bread for
charitable purposes. S. was given a large sack and ten cents for car-
fare. S. after he had been given explicit directions, departed, returning
an hour late. Instead of doing as he was told to do, he walked to the
bakery, spent the carfare for two loaves of bread, put the bread in the
sack, and without presenting the note returned to Mr. Manning's of-
fice. In spite of this man's mental defectiveness, he has performed
simple tasks such as feeding stock. To observe this man, as well as
several others, who tested low, one would not have suspicions at once
that he was feeble-minded. This man told me he did not speak a single
word until he was over six years old.
On the other hand there were many men who were as brilliant as
the most intelligent highly educated men. This was true especially of
certain men who stayed at the Unemployment Union. A large per-
centage of the men staying at this place were members of the I. W.
W. organization.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
I. Feeble-mindedness is an important phase of the unemploy-
ment problem as it exists on the Pacific Coast. About 21 per
cent of the destitute unemployed men are feeble-minded (high-grad«
morons).
TZ The Journal of Delinquency
II. Organized charity cared for a larger proportion of feeble-
minded than (lid tlie municipal lodging houses.
III. There is a iiigh correlation between the size of the vocabulary
and the degree of int(diigence.
IV. As a rule, the unemployed men who were above the average
in intelligenee had good logical memory. Reed Coll<!ge students were
far superior to the unemi)Ioyed men in logical memory.
V. Jobs requiring high intelligence are associated with high in-
telligence according to the tests used.
VI. There is little relation between the amount of education and
the excellence of intelligence of the men examined. The correlation ob-
tained is too low to be significant. When the feeble-minded men are
eliminated from consideration the correlation drops to zero. This is a
strong indication that the Stanford Revision of the Binet-Simon Scale
is a good measure of natural intelligence. If the correTation had been
high, the indication would be that the tests measure nurture rather
than nature.
VII. There is little or no relation between the degree of suggesti-
bility and the intelligence level.
VIII. There was little relation between good attention and good
mental tests. The coefficient of correlation is too small to be signifi-
cant.
IX. There was no relation between wildness in youth and intelli-
gence. The men having roving dispositions when boys were as intelli-
gent as those wiio were inclined to remain at home.
X. Extreme dissipation did not seem to affect the intelligence
level of some men. In spite of much dissipation some men passed super-
ior adult tests.
XI. Taken as a group the destitute unemployed men were much
inferior mentally to a group of ordinarily successful men. The modal
intelligence level of the unemployed was in the 13- and l-I-year age
groups. The modal for a group of 62 adults, including 30 business men
and 32 high school pupils (tested by Lewis M. Terman)* over 16 years
of age, lay between the mental ages of 15 and 17 years. Nevertheless,
there was a larger percentage of superior adults among the unemployed
than among the business men and high school students. Although no
•Lewis M. Terman — The Measurement of Intelligence. 1916.
Unemployment and Feeble-Mindedness
73
one of the 62 men tested by Professor Terman had a mental level under
13 years, there were 28 unemployed men or 26 per cent of the total who
fell under 13 years mental age. Thus unemployment is a problem af-
fecting both mentally deficient and mentally superior iv,en.
XII. The number of men examined in this study is too few to
make extensive generalizations. Further study should be made. The
generalizations which have been made in this paper relate to the unem-
ployment problem as it exists in Portland, Oregon, and probably the
Pacific Coast. Similar studies made by Professor Lewis i\I. Terman,
Dr. J. Harold Williams, and Mr. H. E. Knollin tend to parallel the
findings of the study presented in this paper.*
I
2
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3
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Johnson, Glenn R. : Distribution of Mental Ages of 107 Unem-
ployed Men at Portland, Oregon.
NOTE — Since this study was made, the Stanford Revision of the Binet Scale
has been altered slightly. The latest revision yields somewhat lower mental ages
from nine and ten years up.
S112
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