The psychology of the criminal / by M. Hamblin Smith.

  • Maurice Hamblin Smith
Date:
[1922]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The psychology of the criminal / by M. Hamblin Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    known, though the girls sometimes mention Mrs. Henry Wood, (y) Moving Picture Shows. Intense interest always shown. Not to care for the “ pictures ” is a most unusual phenomenon. Most of the subjects appear to prefer what are known as “ serials ” (wonderful productions in about fifteen weekly parts”). Next to these, preference is shown for love dramas. The “ comics ” do not seem to be very popular . (2) Do you, or your father, belong to a Union ? If the answer is “ yes ” ; then. What is a Union ? The answers are, as a rule, very vague, not often more than, “ They settle about strikes ”. [ad) Prices of such things as clothes and boots (and for girls the prices of food). These are usually given correctly. (bb) For girls, Can you cook ? Usual answer, “ I can cook a bit (cc) For girls Can you make, or have you ever made, any of your own clothes ? Usual answer, No ”. (dd) What would you like to be if you could have the choice ? There is a great variety in the answers. But a very large percent¬ age of the younger subjects seem to have no ideas on the matter, and no ambition whatever. The paucity of information and the limited interests displayed is often quite amazing. And an examiner is sometimes inclined to wonder if our fifty years of univer¬ sal education has been of much practical value. But to take too pessimistic a view would be unwarranted, until we have had tests made on similar lines amongst classes other than delinquents. Such is the author’s standard method. And he claims, and the results have confirmed the claim, that very valuable information can be obtained by this method. We have pointed out that various characteristics, e.g. memory, attention, observation, power of planning a task, ability to profit by errors, capacity to understand directions, and to grasp the essentials of a situation are all brought out. And we can form a definite opinion as to intelligence, and a judgment as to the existence of