Alfred Binet

Alfred Binet


The following essay offers both a short biography of Psychologist Alfred Binet

and a present day practical application using the theory from which Binet

developed his Intelligence test.


Alfred Binet, born in Nice, France, on the eleventh of July, whose mother was an

artist and whose father was a physician, became one of the most prominent

psychologists in French history.


Having received his formal education in both Nice and later, in Paris, at the

renowned Lycee Louis -le-Grand, Binet went on to become a lawyer. This

profession, however, was not suited to him, and he found himself immersed in the

works of J.S. Mill, Bain and Sully at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. He

identified strongly with the associationism theory in following that his mentor

was J.S. Mill.


Binet began working with Charcot and Fere at the Salpetriere, a famous Parisian

hospital, where he absorbed the theories of his teachers in regards to hypnosis,

hysteria and abnormal psychology. During the following seven years, he

continuously demonstrated his loyalty in defending Charcot's doctrines on

hypnotic transfer and polarization until he was forced to accept the

counterattacks of Delboeuf and the Nancy School, which eventually caused a split

between student and teacher.


Having been married in 1884 to Laure Balbiani, whose father was E.G. Balbiani,

an embryologist at the College de France, Binet was given the opportunity to

work in his lab where his interest in 'comparative psychology' was piqued and in

which he eventually wrote his thesis for his doctorate in natural science,

focusing his research on the "the behavior, physiology, histology and anatomy of

insects"(Wolfe, p.7). It was while working in Dr. Balbiani's lab, that Binet

wrote 'Animal Magnetism', an obvious breaking away from associationism, showing

Binet's ability to adapt and learn with every opportunity.


Binet's next area of interest could be considered a precursor to some of

Piaget's work with child psychology and began with the systematic observation of

his two daughters, to whom he devoted much of his time, studying and writing

about. It was at this point, that Binet "came to realize that individual

differences had to be systematically explored before one could determine laws

which would apply to all people"(Pollack,p.xii).


Soon after, Binet was nominated co-director and one year later, became director

of the Laboratory of Physiological Psychology at the Sorbonne. He and Beaunis,

also co-director, initiated and edited the first French psychological journal

'L'Annee Psychologique', which remains in press today.


Although never having attained a professorship in his own country (a bitter

disappointment for the proud nationalist) Binet did spend one spring in

Bucharest where his knowledge in experimental psychology was fully appreciated

as he taught to auditoriums filled to capacity, and was thus offered a chair in

psychophysiology. Binet refused, unable to remain away from Paris.


The 'Society Libre pour l'Etude Psychologique de l'Enfant', was established in

1900 by Binet and Ferdinand Buisson. This organization's concerns dealt with

practical problems in the school setting. Binet, after having proven himself

through his work here, was appointed to a commission which was to adorn Binet

with his most famous contribution in Psychology...the 'Methodes Nouvelles pour

le Diagnostic du Niveau Intellectuel des Anormaux', a series of tests developed

by he and his partner, Theodore Simone, allowing the differentiaion of normal

from retarded children in the school system, thus allowing the slower children

to be separated for remedial help. Although never used extensively in France,

this of course, was the precursor (although used for different and opposable

reasons than were initially intended by Binet) of the Stanford-Binet

Intelligence Test.


Alfred Binet "attempted to penetrate the human mind, to analyze its wellspring,

to understand [it as] a complete whole"(Wolfe, p. 327). His work was diverse,

covering areas such as systematicThis is ONLY a preview of the article. If you would like to view the entire document, you must subscribe to Electronic References. Please register below now!


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