106 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [Vol. sv. 



(a) Ratings can be made of very great value to the personnel office, and I presume also to the operations section 

 in the original assigning and placing of men. This applies not only to specialists, but also to men undergoing machine- 

 gun training. 



(b.) Ratings can be used by company commanders and other unit officers who are directly in oontact with the 

 men. It is very frequently necessary for such officers to use what might be called "snap judgment" in placing a man, 

 and the psychological rating which gives a line on the enlisted man's mentality would be useful for this purpose. It 

 has been demonstrated that in a large percentage of cases a practical try-out of a man substantiates the value placed 

 on him by his psychological rating. 



I believe psychological ratings should be given consideration in the formation of new machine gun classes. One of 

 the difficulties is that some enlisted men take up this training and learn it much more rapidly than others. This is 

 chiefly due to a difference in mentality. In order, therefore, that apt men may not be delayed in their training and 

 held back by those men who learn less readily, I suggest that in the formation of training units, men of higher mentality 

 be grouped together in one class; those of slightly lesser mentality in another; and so on down the line. In this way, 

 I believe the training of the men could be speeded up to quite a marked extent, and all recruits would be trained 

 as rapidly as their individual ability permitted. Information reaching this office from Washington states that eight 

 commanding officers have already directed that this procedure be used in forming organizations within their command. 



In the formation of the permanent personnel and the reorganization which is at present going on, the psychological 

 ratings could be used to equalize the mentality of the various organizations. 



I suggest that the camp psychologist be authorized and directed to immediately examine all men for whom there 

 is no rating on record. The ratings of the men examined shall be reported to the camp personnel adjutant for use at 

 headquarters, and an extra copy shall be furnished to the company commander for his information. 



(3) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, MAIN TRAINING DEPOT. 



In my opinion these examinations should be made as soon as recruits join and their ratings put on service records. 

 This will be of great value in the selection of noncommissioned officers in new organizations and in old organizations. 

 It is my opinion that noncommissioned officers should never be made without reference to psychological ratings. All 

 things being equal the high rating should govern. 



(4) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, GROUP NO. 1. 



In my experience with men -examined by the psychological expert, I have found the results very helpful in 

 electing men. 



In no case have I found their classification in error. 



Men who were rated high turned out to be of superior intellect, and those in the D class were slow to learn and 

 fit only for labor. 



(5) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, GROUP NO. 2. 



The psychological examination of enlisted personnel of this command has been of the greatest assistance to com- 

 pany commanders in making their selection of noncommissioned officers. 



(6) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, GROUP NO. 3. 



I have had numerous chances to test the value of psychological examinations, and found, with but one exception, 

 that it was an easy and quick way to place the proper man in the proper place, not knowing the man at all. 



The instance I cite, I had occasion to pick out from a new draft 120 men as prospective machine-gun instructors 

 and material for noncommissioned officers. This I derived entirely from psychological report. One man failed to 

 qualify as machine-gun instructor. 



Suggest that each recruit as he enters the service be given this examination and a card properly filled out be 

 forwarded with his papers, which would allow his company commander to place him where he belongs and not retard 

 the progress of other men in his organization. 



(7) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, GROUP NO. 4. 



The results of the psychological examinations have not been an infallible guide in the appointing of noncom- 

 missioned officers, but have always received consideration and have been of great assistance in picking fit men for 

 noncommissioned officers. 



(S) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, GROUP. NO. 5. 



In the first place, from my own observation, the ratings given by the psychological board are very inaccurate 

 For instance, a man in this group who holds certificate as air pilot and observer was examined by the board and given 

 a rating, which, if I remember correctly, was C minus 73. This man was reexamined later and given another rating, 

 which, I believe, was C plus 250. It seems very improbable that a man qualified to fill the positions of air pilot and 

 observer should not have a higher rating than C minus 73. 



Part of this inaccuracy I believe to be due to the fact that the room in which the examination is held is filled 

 too full of men. As a result, the men who are sitting in the rear of the room are unable to hear clearly and thoroughly 

 enough to understand the instructions. 



