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MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



[Vol. XV. 



Establishment of the basis of selection of men who should report for individual examination 

 proved to be a difficult problem. The critical score indicating failure and the resulting necessity 

 for individual examination varied from camp to camp and was changed several times. Efforts 

 were made to give proper opportunity for each man to do his best and at the same time avoid a 

 large amount of repeated examination. Men who made 40 points and even more in group skill 

 were recalled in some camps. Others set a standard of 20 points for recall. In examination b 

 men making less than 50 weighted score were recalled and given individual examination. 



The methods of psychological examining in general use previous to the introduction of mental 

 testing in the Army were not at first adopted for Army use. The tests and materials which were 

 supplied the examiners (see Ch. 1, Pt. II, pp. 299 ff) were planned for three purposes: 



(1) The determination of the mental age and intellectual ability of cases suspected of feeble- 

 mindedness. It was believed that specially trained psychologists could made these determina- 

 tions rapidly and subsequently make suitable recommendations for disposal. 



(2) The detection of cases of emotional and mental instability. Preliminary data on cases 

 giving company commanders trouble in drill, discipline, etc., followed by the testing of these 

 cases by the psychologist, would be of great assistance to medical officers in the disposition of the 

 cases. 



(3) The determination and more definite specification of the special abilities of exceptional 

 individuals. However, a program to solve this problem was not developed during the fall of 

 1917. Considerable data indicated that the second task above mentioned could be made an im- 

 portant adjunct to the work of the neuro-psychiatrist. 



Investigations to determine standards and validity of tests for purposes described were made 

 m the summer of 191 7 prior to the beginning of work hi the National Army. Over 400 individual 

 examinations were also made by the four staffs before beginning regular programs of examining. 

 None of the results from these preliminary try-outs was available to the camp examiners before 

 the latter part of November, 1917. The forms received then were based on only a small portion of 

 the data and were of little value to the staffs. 



Establishment of contacts with camp authorities preparatory to group ex aminin g) the 

 more conspicuous nature of the service to be rendered by the mental classification resulting 

 from the group procedure, and the dearth of information on the significance of the individual 

 testing methods provided led to several variations in procedure. Three camps did not use to 

 any extent the tests provided. Devens prepared norms and used them to a considerable 

 degree in testing for suspected feeble-mindedness. Dix used their battery of tests referred to 

 above. Taylor and Lee used largely the Stanford-Binet scale, the point scale, and the Pintner- 

 Paterson performance scale materials. Taylor, Lee, and Dix used the material in the Exam- 

 iner's Guide and other tests, largely according to the preferences of the individual examiners. 



The methods of individual examining originally proposed proved less satisfactory on the 

 whole than the procedures for group examinations. Furthermore it was difficult in several of 

 the camps to conduct individual examinations satisfactorily, and for this reason the number 

 of individual examinations made was smaller than anticipated and the results less valuable. 



The principal statistics of the work done during the fall of 1917 are presented briefly in 

 the accompanying table, which refers only to enlisted men. The figures include negroes as well 

 as white soldiers from camps (Dix and Lee) in which these were examined: 



Table 142. — Summary of results of individual examinations. 



