The second question is pretty abstract and
calls for an examination of motive. It is
usually better to illustrate such questions
with concrete examples. And it should
be noticed that in all abstract questions,
including those of the type of the second, the
examiner must not regard the correctness of
the answer as much as the establishment
of a real difference. The object is to dis-
cover the working of a child's mind, and not
his opinions, which may or may not be con-
ventional. If a child says, "A lie is when
you make a mistake and a mistake ain't so, "
he is stating facts, but he is not making a
difference. This is a very frequent answer
to this question. If, however, he says,
"I made a mistake but I didn't go for to
lie," the examiner must be quick to see that
tmdemeath the vagueness of expression the
child has pierced the difference. Whether



no The BacKward Child

that perception affects his moral conduct
is entirely another point.
The third question is similar to the first
save that it involves material instead of
appearance. The examiner will use many
different questions on these lines, being care-
ful not to group questions of the same type like
(i) and (3) lest the child answer mechanically.
Another test of analysis is to give a word
like furniture spelled out in separate letters —
the letters of the ordinary word game will do
— and ask the child to make three separate
small words of it. Fur^ of course, stands
before his eyes if he will see it, tru^ and in
are others, or run and tie.
