86

Alfred Binet has changed the subject matter of psychology : the observation of mental activity has taken the place of the analysis of associations. This change has renewed the psychology of intelligence. It made possible the construction of the "Échelle métrique". It also led to a broader conception of experimentation and of measurement. Paradoxically, the influence of Binet’s work was weak in France, where his test was not frequently used. By contrast, this instrument has had a big success in the United States, where it has marked the beginning of the test movement.Binet has strongly inspired Jean Piaget in the elaboration of his theory as well as in his child observation method. Binet kept in touch with the early research work of the English school of factor analysis, but he did not get conscious of its import.