What Mental Tests Shall We Use?

Abstract

This is the first of a series of articles upon mental tests suitable for use with the blind. Interest inventories have considerable value for the educational and vocational guidance of the seeing and a considerable number are listed with favorable comment in the Mental Measurements Yearbooks published by Buros. But when the items are studied from the point of view of the blind many of the most popular and scientific tests have to be rejected. One inventory, the Kuder Preference Record, can be recommended, and has already proved its worth in trial with blind adolescents and adults. The Dunlap Academic Preference Blank, may be favorably recommended for the educational guidance of junior high school pupils, and the Ohio Interest Inventory for intermediate grades gives promise of valuable assistance in the elementary school. All of these tests may be given orally, without the use of braille, by having the subjects record their responses on dot sheets, which Perkins Institution is prepared to furnish on order.