Florence Laura Goodenough
(1886–1959)

On 6 August 1886, in the Pennsylvanian Honesdale in the little village (where the film Blue Valentine was also shot) Florence Laura saw the light of day GOODENOUGH.

Florence's birth was followed by 8 siblings. Her parents were farmers; little Florence studied at home instead of at school.

Later it turned out that even so she became a very clever girl.

From the little village he went straight to the city college and easily obtained his teaching qualification.

She studied psychology, became a school psychologist, then immediately embarked on PhD studies too.

His career arced ever higher: in 1921 he took part in the development of the famous Stanford-Binet IQ test, then became professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota.

He was famous for his strict examinations. From his students (especially the women) he demanded the absolute maximum and forgave no one their laziness.

(For example, a thesis review written by him from 1941 has survived, in which in a merciless style he fails a student named Mrs Van Hale.)

His teacher, the famous intelligence researcher Lewis Terman, in a letter of his "a brilliant mind" him. No wonder, since in those days very few obtained a PhD at Stanford, especially in the case of a woman.

Goodenough never married, devoted his life to science and teaching.

He wrote seven books and it was she who taught the first coloured woman who obtained a PhD in psychology.

He adored birds and flowers and photographed them passionately (colour photography was invented around this time).

at the age of 61 he lost his sight and partly his hearing, including the creator's own, earlier and later pictures, in some cases even the childhood works (juvenilia), as well as those pictures created by others that demonstrably influenced the artist;

His famous human figure drawing test (Draw-A-Man) he published in 1926, and it was an immediate success.

Within three years the test became the 3rd most frequently used clinical psychological test, and indeed it is still one of the most widespread tests today.

What was Goodenough's HIS BRILLIANT MISTAKE? It will be revealed in part 2...

From the contents of Part II:

• What was that famous error?
• Why do we assert that Goodenough was mistaken?
• What is it that ought no longer to be taught today, yet you encounter it everywhere?
• What does it mean in fact, if the child produces a more underdeveloped drawing than would be expected on the basis of his age?
• Is there a solution? What does The SSCA Method recommend instead of the Goodenough test?
• Detailed justification and explanation.

If you like what you have read, then pass it on!