ychology 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 com...
