156 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [vduxv, 



ate use a rating of the men which in validity compares not unfavorably with ratings furnished by officers after months 

 of acquaintance. 



In using the psychological results there is a tendency to overlook the fact that they give evidence concerning but 

 one quality important in a good soldier. The company commander should be cautioned not to neglect the importance 

 of other qualities, such as personal appearance, energy, military experience, leadership, initiative, tact, etc. It is no 

 criticism of the psychological rating that it fails to measure these other qualities of the soldier. All it does is to afford 

 a reasonably reliable measure of one essential quality — i. e., general intelligence. Although there is a fairly high 

 correlation between general intelligence and other desirable traits, like character, leadership, etc., the fact must not be 

 overlooked that there are individuals of high intelligence who are not properly fitted to command. It has been proved 

 quite definitely that the results of the psychological examinations are valuable when properly used. They can not, 

 however, be made to take the place of all other criteria. Each officer should be encouraged to scrutinize the men of 

 his command carefully in order to discover their individual differences in other traits as well as in intelligence. 



Individual cases will be found in which the information of the company commander is greatly at variance with the 

 psychological rating. In such cases one would not be warranted in making sweeping claims for the infallibility of the 

 test results. It should be pointed out that the discrepancy may be due to the presence or absence of important traits 

 not measured by the intelligence examination. Such cases, however, afford opportunity for the psychological examiner 

 to make clear the value of a rating which is absolute rather than relative. The company commander will readily 

 appreciate the fact that his own estimate is relative; that he inevitably judges his men with reference to the average in 

 his company. For this reason in the company which in general is inferior a high man will be overestimated . Similarly, 

 in a specially high company a low man will be underestimated. Company commanders will readily appreciate the im- 

 portance of bringing to light extreme cases of unevenness in different organizations in order that such inequalities may be 

 remedied. 



II. Segregation of Illiterates. 



Subjects reporting for group examination belong in one of the following classes: 



(1) Men totally illiterate or unable to understand English; 



(2) Men who read or write English only with difficulty; 



(3) Men who read and write English readily. 



Examination alpha will not measure the intelligence of the first group; it may or may not yield a reliable measure 

 for the second group; it will measure the intelligence of the third group. 



Group 1 should be given beta only; group 3 should be given alpha (but not beta unless the score earned in alpha 

 was below D); group 2 should be given both alpha and beta in order that men making below D in alpha because of 

 language difficulty may have opportunity to improve their scores in examination beta. 



Examiners should eliminate at the outset of examination alpha all total illiterates and men who can not understand 

 English, by ordering these to stand and to leave the alpha room. They may then be referred to examination beta. 

 Officers' statements that men can not read and write may be used to advantage in making this separation. 



After these men have been segregated and the remaining group satisfactorily placed, each man is supplied with a 

 pencil. Then examiner should say: "We are going to pass around some papers now; don't turn any of the pages until 

 I tell you to." Have assistant distribute alpha booklets, face up, making sure that only one is handed to each man. 

 As soon as the booklets have been distributed examiner should continue, slowly and distinctly, pausing after each 

 instruction to give subjects time to respond: "Now, at the top of the page before you, print your name after the word 

 'Name,' print your first name first, then your middle initial, if any, and then your last name. Take time to print very 

 plainly." 



After name has been written, say: "Put your rank in the Army after the word 'Rank,' such as private, corporal, 

 sergeant, sergeant first class, ' ' etc. ' ' Put your age in years after the word ' Age. ' " "In the next line write your com- 

 pany, regiment, arm, and division." (Examiner should mention designation of these.) 



"In the next line write the name of the State or country in which you were born." "If you were not born in this 

 country, tell next the number of years you have lived in the United States." "After 'Race' write the word 'White.' " 

 (In examining negro troops substitute the word "Negro." If there are Indians in the group, ask them to write the word 

 "Indian." Similarly for Chinese, Japanese, Philippinos, etc.) 



"In the next line after 'Occupation,' write your usual work, trade, or business (such as carpenter, grocery clerk, 

 laborer, farmer, student)." "Next put down how much you earned a week before you entered the Amy; not how 

 much a day or a month, but how much a week." 



"After 'Schooling,' draw aline under the highest grade or school you attended. For example, if the highest grade 

 you attended was the fifth grade, draw a line under Grade 5; if you attended the second year in the high school or 

 preparatory school, draw a line under High School, Year 2, etc." 



After these directions have been given, the orderlies should systematically examine the paper of each man to dis- 

 cover his ability to carry out the above directions. Those subjects who are unable to read and write sufficiently to fill out 

 these headings should be commanded to stand, and on completion of preliminary survey by examiner and his assistants 

 should be ordered to enter examining room for examination beta. 



The above direction is based upon the assumption that a man who can not understand the directions given by 

 examiner, read the words "occupation," "weekly wages," "schooling," etc., and write the necessary replies, can not 

 do justice to himself in examination alpha. 



