no. 2] PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. 499 



We have even less interest, at this point, in calling attention to differences between regi- 

 ments of different branches of the service. If it is desirable that there be different standards 

 for different branches it would follow that differences in the units of the several branches must 

 exist. They should not, therefore, be thought of as contributing to inequality or unevenness 

 in the sense that we are here considering. 



Table 149 presents data concerning the main regimental units of the four divisions. In 

 the light of the foregoing statement it is evident that irregularities of the type we are discussing 

 may be observed by intercomparisons (1) of Infantry regiments and (2) of Artillery regiments 

 in the several groups. In making such comparisons it has proved especially illuminating to 

 call attention to two elements of the whole — i. e., the men making A or B grades, distinctly 

 superior cases mentally, and the men eliminated as relatively illiterate. The importance of 

 having in each organization a fair percentage of superior men, able to assume responsibility and 

 exercise leadership on occasion, or, lacking the necessary qualities for leadership, at least com- 

 petent to handle complicated paper work, is readily recognized. A regiment which contains 

 as few as 4 or 5 per cent of such cases (see Table 149) would seem to have lost more than its 

 margin of safety from this point of view. On the other hand, the relatively " illiterate," 

 which have been shown by later experimentation to include a preponderance of cases of low- 

 grade mentality, may seriously clog the machinery of the organization, especially if the organi- 

 zation does not require a large amount of work of the "laborer" type. Because of the obvious 

 importance of these considerations graphic presentation such as that of figures 5 and 6 has been 

 found useful in demonstrating the existence of such inequalities in the various camps. They 

 are offered here as illustrative of the differences which may exist between regiments of the 

 same branch in the same division. 



The same point might be brought out by use of measures of central tendency — the mean 

 or the median. Reference to table 149 shows the existence of varibility as thus measured. 



Table 149. — Comparison of regiments, by camps, showing percentages relatively illiterate, percentages grading A or B, 



and mean scores in examination a — Enlisted men (white). 



1. CAMP DEVENS (SEVENTY-SIXTH DIVISION). 



2. CAMP DIX (SEVENTY-EIGHTH DIVISION). 



Infantry: 



309 



310 



311 



312 

 Field Artillery: 



307 



308 



309 



Machine Gun Battalion. 

 Engineers, 303 ' 



177.5 

 188.6 

 174.7 

 177.1 



204.4 

 175.1 

 178.9 

 166.1 

 176.4 



i The mean score has been obtained for those who actually took examination a, after elimination of relative illiterates. For reasons already 

 discussed, therefore, these values are only comparable within camps, not from camp to camp. 



> For more complete data on this organization see table 8. The engineers therein reported represent the total Three hundred and third so far 

 as It was examined. 



