

UTILIZATION OF BRAIN POWER IN ARMY 193 



proved placement with respect alike to occupational and 

 mental classifications. 



Psychological service was rendered also to the follow- 

 ing divisions or departments in addition to those named 

 above: (i) the Morale Branch of the General Staff, (2) 

 the Division of Military Intelligence, (3) the Committee 

 on Education and Special Training of the War Depart- 

 ment, and (4) the Chemical Warfare Service. 1 



Early in the emergency it became clear to psychologists, 

 in the military service that the fundamental psychological 

 problem of the army is one of placement and that the 

 most important service psychologists could possibly render 

 would be to assist in so assigning every soldier that his 

 mental (as well as physical) ability should be used to ad- 

 vantage. It was assumed by the psychological personnel 

 that intelligence, alertnes^ the will to win, enthusiasm, 

 faith, courage and leadership are even more important 

 than are physical strength and endurance, and that this 

 fact must be scientifically reckoned with wherever a 

 strong military organization is to be built quickly. Very 

 promptly it became the recognized purpose of army psy- 

 chologists to assist in winning the war by the scientific 

 utilization of brain power. The achievement of this pur- 

 pose necessitated the preparation of special methods of 

 mental measurement in order that recruits should be prop- 

 erly classified for elimination or assignment to military 

 training. 



The army, at first naturally and wisely skeptical con- 

 cerning the practical values of psychological service and 



1 For the United States Navy serviceable methods of selecting, 

 placing and training gunners, listeners and lookouts were devised 

 and developed by Lieutenant Commander Raymond Dodge. The 

 methods prepared by Dr. Dodge as well as certain instruments 

 designed by him for naval use have been extensively and profit- 

 ably used, and the appointment of this psychologist as Lieutenant 

 Commander in the Naval Reserve is at once a fitting recognition 

 of his practical service and an indication of the appreciation of 

 his work by the officers with whom he has been associated. 



