14 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. tvouxv. 



Camp Devens, Mass.: First Lieuts. William S. Foster (chief psychological examiner), John 

 E. Anderson, Horace B. English, John T. Metcalf, and the following civilians: Raymond H. 

 Wheeler, Harold C. Bingham, Carl R. Brown, Chester E. Kellogg, Ralph S. Roberts, and Charles 

 H. Toll. 



The section of Psychology within the Division of Neurology and Psychiatry was organized 

 during November, with the following staff: Maj. Robert M. Yerkes, S. O, N. A., in charge of sec- 

 tion, appointed August 17, 1917; Lieut. Arthur S. Otis, statistician, appointed October 3, 1917; 

 Dr. Lewis M. Terman, appointed advisory member October 18, 1917; Capt. Charles Scott Berry, 

 appointed November 21, 1917. 



Section 2. — Conduct of examining in cantonments. 



The progress of psychological work in the stations in which it was first tried and certain of 

 the most important conditions affecting it are indicated below: 



Camp Devens. — Beginning September 16, 1917, the psychological staff, which was quartered 

 in the base hospital, worked with the personnel officer of the camp for the double purpose of 

 assisting him and of gaining insight into the methods and results of the qualification card system. 

 The chief psychological examiner was advised on September 19 by the division surgeon that it 

 would be unwise to attempt to initiate psychological examining until at least 40 per cent of 

 the soldiers expected in the camp had been assigned to organizations. It was further stated that 

 this would probably delay examining until October 15. 



During the last week of September examinations were made for the training of the staff 

 The following week certain preliminary investigations were conducted in compliance with direc- 

 tions from the Office of the Surgeon General. The purpose of these investigations was to perfect 

 methods and to secure tentative norms. Numerous conferences were held early in October to 

 acquaint the officers of Camp Devens with the methods and purposes of the psychological 

 service. 



On October 15 psychological survey of the camp was initiated by the examination of 475 

 men. The following day 1 ,000 men were examined. A conference with company commanders 

 was held on October 17 and thereupon, in order that psychological records might be scored 

 promptly and the results properly reported to medical and line officers, about sixty enlisted men 

 were assigned to the psychological staff for clerical duty. 



During the first week of the survey work, one regiment was examined. Each company 

 was taken in two sections. The average number of individuals per section was 100. The staff 

 at this time experienced difficulty in making the requested number of individual examinations. 

 During the second week of the survey, increase of the force of scoring clerks to 90 made possible 

 the examination of three regiments. 



On November 9 a total of 14,091 men had been examined, and on November 20 the total 

 had reached 20,085. 



Maj. Yerkes reported at Camp Devens on November 22 for inspection of psychological 

 examining and conference with the commanding general concerning the f easibility and desirability 

 of examining the officers of the camp. 



Satisfactory arrangements were promptly made for the examination of officers, and on 

 November 26 this work was initiated by the examination of 180 medical, dental, and veterinary 

 officers. On November 28 it was reported by the chief psychological examiner that 830 officers 

 had been examined. On the same date a total of 1 ,059 individual examinations was reported. 

 From this group of cases about 200 had been referred to the neuro-psychiatric officer for special 

 examination. 



As the survey of the camp was well advanced, the attention of the staff was directed early 

 in December to special study of the military status, prospective value to the service, and general 

 behavior of men who received unsatisfactory grades in the psychological examination. Effort 

 was made to ascertain the attitude of company commanders, as well as of regimental and other 

 officers, toward the psychological service. To this end a simple questionary was sent to each 

 officer. 



