No. -.] 



PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. 473 



including zero literacy, were to be recorded on individual record cards. This information was 

 available for use in reports on individual cases when desired by company commanders. In the 

 following discussion we shall refer only to those alternative methods that were tried and discarded 

 or were used in segregating groups in the fall of 1917. 1 



Two general reasons may be presented that led the four camps to discard this literacy test 

 or to attempt to find substitutes therefor. The necessity for speed and prompt and expeditious 

 handling of groups was the first difficulty encountered that led to the shortening of the prelimi- 

 nary questioning. Extra blanks were needed to give this test, and these had to be collected and 

 scored; in the meantime the men would become restless, and green examiners feared losing 

 control of their groups. No satisfactory scoring or inspection procedure was developed that 

 hastened the manipulation of this test. In the second place, as the test was arranged, it proved 

 difficult to standardize and gave results that seemed ambiguous. The standards set were too 

 high. The test failed to "get over," frequently even in the case of men who made average 

 scores or better on examination a. On the other hand, several reports on the use of the literacy 

 test indicated that it apparently operated as a rough intelligence test, thereby tending to 

 remove men of low intelligence whatever their degree of literacy. It did not perform satisfac- 

 torily either of the operations intended. 



A number of different methods was tried out in the attempt to obtain a satisfactory pro- 

 cedure in the segregation of those who could not do themselves justice in examination a. At 

 Camp Lee the examiners first tried the method of picking out only those who could do no more 

 than write their name and age. These men were asked if they read their own letters or wrote 

 letters home themselves; if they did they were sent back and allowed to try examinations. 

 During the third test of examination a the examiner inspected papers and those who were doing 

 little or nothing were sent to the group skill test. A number of other suggestions was made as to 

 procedure in attempting to solve the segregation problem. These were primarily attempts to 

 find short scoring and inspection methods suitable.f or detecting men who would make low scpres 

 in examination a. 



Early in November a new literacy test, prepared by Dr. T. L. Kelley, was tried out at 

 Camps Lee, Devens, and Dix. A diacussion of this test will be found on page 348 of this part. 

 From this account it is evident that this test showed no advantages over the original literaoy 

 test. It was therefore not used after the preliminary trials. 



The Devens literacy test and the Dix dictation test are discussed in connection with the 

 account of the segregation procedures in these two camps. 



Camp Lee. — The final segregation procedure agreed upon at Camp Lee may be described 

 somewhat as follows: When all the men were seated the examiner said, "All those who do not 

 read and write put down their books and come to the front of the room." Many understood 

 these directions and came immediately; others were pointed out by men who knew them and 

 who knew that they could not write their own letters or read the newspapers. After these men 

 were picked out examination a was begun. The examiner and his orderlies selected other 

 men who were unable to fill in the information desired at the top of the examination a blank. 

 During the arithmetic test the examiner and orderlies again had opportunity to inspect the 

 papers. Men who were not showing any evidence of ability to handle the simplest items in 

 this test and the preceding ones were sent at once to the group skill test. 



The psychological staff at Camp Lee found their segregation problem complicated by the 

 presence of both foreigners and native illiterates in considerable numbers. At Devens the 

 foreigners were the more numerous. Demonstration methods received greater attention at 

 Devens and Dix than at either Lee or Taylor on this account. The findings on the original 

 literacy test correspond, nevertheless, quite closely to those found at Lee. 



Camp Taylor. — Camp Taylor reported no systematic trial of the original literacy blanks 

 along the lines originally planned. The instructions issued at the time examining on a large 

 scale began in November were based on the experience of the other camps and are as follows: 



1 See in general, chap. 5, Methods of Segregation and Tests o[ Literacy, pp. 347, B. of this volume. 

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