1. Henry Goddard and the
Elimination of Feeble-
Mindedness
“If all of the slum districts of our cities were removed
tomorrow…we would still have slums in a week’s time,
because we have these mentally defective people who
can never be taught to live otherwise…”1
Patrick Goldberg
Florida Institute of Technology
PSF 3551 Integrated Theories of Crime

2. Henry Herbert Goddard – Context
1900 1910 1920 1930
Spearman
publishes
General
Intelligence
indtroducing
the “g” factor
Binet and
Simon create
first
standardized
psychometric
instrument
Goddard
translates
Binet-Simon
test to
English
Freud
publishes
Introduction to
Psychoanalysis
Piaget
publishes
Judgment and
Reasoning in
the Child
Skinner
publishes
The Behavior
of Organisms
Max de
Crinis
authors
Hitler’s
Euthanasia
Decree
Goddard
publishes The
Kallikak
Family
Intelligence
testing
implemented
on Ellis
Island
Major Events in Psychology in Goddard’s Time

3. First psychologist to translate the Simon-
Binet test from French to English 2
Creator of one of the first curricula for
students with “special needs” 4
Henry Herbert Goddard – Biography
The Good
Author of the nation’s first law mandating
education for those with “special needs” 3

4. Advocated for the suppression of feeble-
mindedness through sterilization,
among other means 5
Directly influenced controversial, Anti-
Semitic intelligence tests administered
at Ellis Island 5
Henry Herbert Goddard – Biography
The Bad
Promoted eugenics (selective
breeding) theories later embraced
by Nazi Germany 6

5. Henry Herbert Goddard – Biography
The Ugly
Originated the concept of a “dumb Polack”
in his work 7
Introduced the word moron to the
English language as an expansion of
feeble-minded labels 7

6. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
Goddard estimated that there were 300,000 feeble-minded
individuals, comprising three convenient groups:
92 million
“Normal” Americans 8
300 thousand
“Feeble-minded”
Americans 8
Morons
Idiots
Imbeciles

7. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
300 thousand
“Feeble-minded”
Americans 9
Idiots:
• Lowest group
• Deeply Defective
• Unable to guard
against common
physical dangers
Imbeciles:
• Middle group
• Incapable of earning a
living
• Capable of guarding
against common
physical dangers
Morons:
• Highest group
• Capable of earning
a living
• Incapable of
competing on equal
terms with others
• Incapable of
managing affairs
with prudence
Features of the feeble-minded

8. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
Idiots
According to Goddard:
So-called idiots were a burden from birth,
nothing but a troublesome being to be pitied.
Regardless of the position of the child’s
caretakers, an idiot child is a burden to all
those with whom he or she has contact.
To eliminate idiots from society, by any
reasonable means, could only be seen as the
responsible action to undertake for society’s
benefit.

9. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
According to Goddard:
So-called imbeciles are generally viewed as
silly or stupid.
Imbeciles should all be considered a societal
menace because any imbecile could become
destructive.
Eliminating imbeciles would free up teachers
and other resources to improve the overall
performance of the remainder of society.
Imbeciles

10. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
According to Goddard:
So-called morons are generally viewed as
normal, but a little “dull”.
Though capable of earning a living, the
moron can not manage his or her own affairs
and thus requires attendants.
Eliminating morons would free up numerous
resources to improve the overall
performance of the remainder of society.
Morons

11. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
Societal Ills Eliminated Along with the Feeble-Minded 10:

12. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
Proposed solutions for the elimination of feeble-mindedness 11:
Cure –
• Unlikely an option for idiots and imbeciles
• Possible depending on physiological underliers,
such as thyroid disorders
• Costly, but worthwhile endeavor
Prevention by segregation –
• Sentimental in nature, but not practical
• Extremely costly in terms of financial resources
and custodial resources
Prevention by sterilization–
• Requires identification of predictive factors that
indicate a feeble-minded offspring is likely
• Though costly, the cost of preventing feeble-
minded procreation would be far less than the
cost of the feeble-minded to society

13. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
Square indicates male. Circle indicates female. A, alcoholic
(habitual drunkard). F, feeble-minded; N, normal; T, tuberculosis;
Hand shows which child is in the institution for the feeble-minded
Prevention by sterilization 12:
By identifying precursors to feeble-mindedness, such as tuberculosis,
alcoholism, or feeble-mindedness, potential procreators can be
stopped before they are able to continue contaminating the gene
pool

14. The Elimination of Feeble-mindedness
Possible sources of inherited feeble-mindedness:

15. Though Goddard’s research had little direct positive
impact on the study and practice of psychology, his
key, lasting contribution was to the study of the
connection between IQ and criminality.
With Goddard’s work as a basis, psychologists over the
next decade would continue to explore and
expound upon the understanding of how
quantifiable intelligence relates to and contributes to
criminality.
Goddard’s Contribution

16. Goddard’s Contribution
Additionally, Goddard may be credited for his contribution to
psychology as a polarizing lightning rod in the eugenics debate.
The lack of scientific rigor in Goddard’s publications and his
advocacy for heinous and controversial practices clearly served
as a starting point for many of his critics to cement their stances
through research efforts specifically designed to refute
Goddard’s positions.