no.i.] PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. 107 



From my own personal observation and experience I have found that it is practically impossible to rely on the 

 ratings given by the psychological board. Men who are below the average, when it comes to the question of service, 

 are given higher ratings by the board, and vice versa. The records are of no use when it comes to picking men for 

 certain positions. 



Another thing which I believe enters into the examination, in a great measure, is the element of chance. It may 

 be that a man is examined on a day when he happens to feel at his best, and everything may work smoothly. Should 

 he be examined again the next day his faculties might not at that time be as keen, and his rating would not be as high. 



Recommend that when these examinations are given there be not more than 15 men in each class. 



(9) PKOM COMMANDING OFFICER, GROUP NO. 6. 



The psychological examination record is of great value when properly used and eliminates chances of error in 

 selecting men for specialized work. An officer not acquainted with the enlisted men in his command, or one called 

 on to select noncommissioned officers on short notice, should make his selection from those men with A or B grades 

 who most strongly impress him on being interviewed. 



Men having grades of D or E seldom have the potential qualities for making noncommissioned officers. However, 

 men with grades of C who give a favorable impression on being interviewed, sometimes make good noncommissioned 

 officers. The assumption is that men in the latter class were under a strain when they took the examination. It is 

 suggested that a second test be given these men on recommendation of company commanders. 



Again, it is to be observed that men who have been out of school for several years do not make so high a grade 

 in these examinations as do younger men recently out of school, even though they display more intelligence. It is 

 questioned whether the examinations do not deal too much with the scholastic and not enough with the practical 

 to be a fair unit of measure for all soldiers. 



It is suggested that company commanders be urged to consult the psychological records more frequently than 

 they do in making appointments and assignments to special duty. 



Selection of men for practical work, trades, etc., should not be limited to selection from psychological grade. 



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



Psychological ratings of about the first thousand men received in this group were very satisfactory, and were of 

 considerable assistance in determining the assignment of acting noncommissioned officers in this group. 



The psychological examinations of the last 500 men received in this group were very unsatisfactory, owing to the 

 fact that a great number of these men were illiterates and the examinations conducted were not a fair test of the intelli- 

 gence of the men for that reason. Would suggest that different methods might be used in examining men who can not 

 read and write, so that commanding officers might get a better idea of their intelligence other than from a standpoint 

 of literacy. 



The result of the examination of the last 500 men received in this group showed nearly all of them to be in class E, 

 and actual experience has demonstrated that a number of these men were far more intelligent than their classification 

 would seem to indicate. 



(ll) FROM COMMANDANT, TRAINING CENTER SCHOOL. 



It is my opinion that these examinations have a distinct value as indicated in a memorandum from psychological 

 examining board on the subject of proof as to the validity of psychological grades. 



It is my opinion that all men as soon as they shall have reported at this camp should be given this examination 

 and the reports immediately placed in the hands of their company commanders. This gives the company commander 

 at the outset a true index of the personnel of his company that could be used with slight fear of error in making his 

 first selections of noncommissioned officers. The next important application of the results of these tests lies in the 

 selection of men to attend the machine-gun school or for admission to training schools for officers. It is my opinion, 

 based upon tests and experience at the machine-gun school, that no man should be selected for admission to the machine- 

 gun school for training as a noncommissioned officer in machine-gun work whose grade in his psychological test is that 

 of C— or lower. It is also my opinion that no man who fails to procure a grading in the psychological test below that 

 of grade C-f- should be selected for designation to attend a training school for officers or to attend the machine-gun 

 school. 



Had this principle been applied at the machine-gun school much valuable time would have been saved, and the 

 limited number of instructors available would have been liberated for other classes. 



(12) FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, CENTRAL OFFICERS' TRAINING SCHOOL. 



The results of psychological examinations have proven of much value to this school in determining the qualifications 

 and fitness of certain doubtful men for commissions. In the large percentage of instances the result of the psychological 

 examination has coincided with the result of the candidate's written examination mark. Would suggest one way of 

 increasing the immediate usefulness of this work would be to require every soldier to take this examination and to 

 impress upon officers the value of this means of discovering men. 



(13) PROM COMMANDING OFFICER, DEVELOPMENT BATTALION. 



The chief value of the psychological examinations is that they afford company commanders a quick and relatively 

 accurate method for determining the intelligence of the enlisted men. This makes it possible for the company com- 

 mander to utilize his most intelligent men for important work at once, without resorting to the "try-out" method. 

 Mistakes in the choice of men are not entirely eliminated but they are reduced. 



