22 



MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



[Vol. XV, 



14. Neurological examinations are made of all suspicious cases and of all men in the E and S classes. About halt 

 of each class are found unfit for military service. 



15. The value of these psychological tests as an indication of mental capacity can not be definitely determined 

 at present; further comparison must be made of officers' estimates and of the performance of the men with psycholog- 

 ical scores. The general opinion at Camp Lee is distinctly favorable, and I am confident that the results obtained 

 by Lieut. Yoakum and his co-workers amply justify the extension of the examinations to include all enlisted and 

 drafted men and newly appointed officers. 



16. There is nothing novel or experimental in the principle of applying psychological tests as a means of determin- 

 ing practical every-day mental capacity. It has been repeatedly made use of heretofore among big business concerns 

 with results indicated in dollars and cents saved. The value of the work of Maj. Yerkes and his assistants consists in 

 devising mental tests of such a nature as to serve as a practical index of the intelligence of men in the military service. 

 If the results of the work at Camp Lee are borne out at other places, it must be admitted that Maj. Yerkes has been 

 eminently successful. 



17. The following extract from an interview with Gen. Cronkhite, published in The Bayonet of October 26, 1917, 

 shows the opinion of the division commander in regard to value of the psychological examinations: 



It may be revolutionary, but the psychiatric board 's intelligence tests will play a great part in this division. These 

 tests are virtually conclusive ; they have proved so in thousands of cases. And men who show a high intelligence rating 

 will be watched closely; will be given every chance for advancement. Their daily work will be taken into consider- 

 ation, and if they deserve promotion they'll get it. This is the program from top to bottom — officers and privates. 



VII. RECOMMENDATIONS. 



18. In view of the successful results of the psychological examinations at Camp Lee and of the high opinion of the 

 value of the tests by all unprejudiced observers, including the co mm anding general, the chief of staff, the ranking medi- 

 cal officers and many company officers, I recommend that the scheme be extended to include all enlisted and drafted 

 men and all newly appointed officers, provided competent psychologists can be found to take charge. 



19. In my opinion the work should be prosecuted under the direction of the division surgeon, inasmuch as the 

 medical department is vitally interested in the prompt identification and elimination of the mentally unfit. 



Henry A. Shaw, 

 Colonel, Medical Corps. 



Col. Shaw prepared also the following special report on the significance of psychological 



ratings for the Medical Corps : 



November 19, 1917. 

 Prom: Col. Henry A. Shaw, Medical Corps. 

 To: The Surgeon General of the Army. 

 Subject: Psychological rating of medical officers, Camp Lee, Va. 



1. The psychological examinations of officers and drafted men are now nearing completion at Camp Lee, Va. 

 Through the courtesy of First Lieut. Clarence S. Yoakum, S. C, chief psychological examiner at that camp, I am 

 able to present certain information and data in regard to them which, in my opinion, have a very direct bearing on the 

 present condition and future policy of the medical department. 



2. The statistics which are here reported are based upon psychological tests of 1,166 officers, including — Infantry, 

 227; Artillery, 169; Engineers, 63; Quartermaster Corps, 72; medical officers, 236 (of whom 188 were Medical Corps, 

 36 Dental Corps, and 12 Veterinary Corps). The ratings of these officers as a body were as follows : In the A class (very 

 superior; intellectually competent to command), 44 per cent; in the B class (superior ; officer type), 32 per cent; in the 

 C class (average private type), 24 per cent. Analyzing these ratings according to corps or arm of the service we find the 

 following percentages in each grade: 



Table 1. — Showing by corps and arm of service percentages of officers and men in each grade. 



Range of scores 



Letter 

 grade. 



Average 

 officer 

 group. 



Medical 

 Corps. 



Engineers. 



Artillery. 



Infantry. 



Quarter- 

 master 

 Corps. 



Drafted 

 men. 



350-414.. 

 300-349.. 

 250-299.. 

 200-249.. 

 150-199. 

 100-149. 

 50-99... 

 0-50... 



Iliteratc and foreign. 



D 



E 



0.9 

 3.0 

 5.7 

 11.0 

 16.0 

 18.0 

 15.6 

 9.2 



19.5 



