506 MEMOIRS NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [vol. xv, 



essary information was not available to their officers at the time warrants were issued. The 

 importance of securing early returns from the psychological examinations and putting these at 

 the disposal of the company officers for their reference in connection with appointments follows 

 from these findings. The further problem which suggests itself is that concerning the extent 

 to which the selection might have been improved by judicious use of the psychological results, 

 especially by reduction in the number of low-grade cases. This problem was not followed up 

 until the later period of psychological examining. In the light of later evidence the proportion 

 of C— , D, and E cases in these two groups seems over large. 



It is further important to remember the actual relationship between the noncommissioned 

 officer group and the commissioned officers — the fact that appointment to the former rank may 

 be a step toward the latter. The noncommissioned officer group should therefore contain 

 much potential officer material. This relationship is illustrated by data from Camp Devens 

 on a special group of 176 sergeants who were admitted to officers' training camp. For this 

 group we find 74.4 per cent of A or B cases, only 1.1 per cent of C— cases, and none of lower 

 grade, and a median score of 291. These show a distinct superiority to the random selection of 

 sergeants reported above, indicating the selection of picked members of the noncommissioned 

 group for officers' training camp. 



DATA ON OFFICERS AND ON CANDIDATE OFFICERS IN OFFICERS* TRAINING CAMPS. 



Comparison of enlisted men with officers is made possible by extensive data obtained from 

 the four camps. The importance of this material can hardly be overestimated for its bearing on 

 the possible usefulness of psychological examining in the Army. During the fall the psycho- 

 logical methods were still under trial. Their serviceability, especially in connection with officer 

 groups and prospective officer material, had not been fully established, in spite of the clear 

 indications of the summer tryouts with various other types of groups. The results of the fall 

 trial demonstrated beyond any question that the psychological examinations were able to 

 differentiate between officers and enlisted men in striking fashion. 



A natural corollary of this fact was the idea of the usefulness of such data in connection 

 with selection of men for officers' training camps. It would seem an obvious waste, of no small 

 moment under the pressure of war needs, to send for training men whose mental caliber is 

 definitely inferior to the standards for officers as indicated by existing Army practice. It may 

 very well be true that the training school itself is a sufficient sieve to prevent any man who is 

 below par from coming through to a commission, but it would seem highly undesirable that an 

 unnecessary number of such cases should be admitted to the school. A survey of 22 officers' 

 training camps of the third series was undertaken in January, 1918, with a view to determining 

 the caliber of the men admitted to these schools. 



The results obtained from examination (1) of officers and (2) of men admitted to officers' 

 training camps are presented herewith in comparison 'with data on enlisted men. Intercom- 

 parison of the various subgroups within each of these groups will be discussed in a later section. 



Officers. — Considering, first, the comparison of officers with men we note that differences 

 are so marked in degree that it is practically immaterial what basis of comparison we use, what 

 specific groups of officers and of men wo compare, and whether allowance is made for the pres- 

 ence of the relatively illiterate in the group of enlisted men or not. The latter point affects 

 slightly the degree of difference shown between the groups, since the officer group loses no cases 

 by elimination for illiteracy, but entire disregard of this fact can not obscure the difference 

 between the groups. The accompaying graphs present the comparison in a variety of ways 

 and require little comment or explanation. 



Figure 12 shows the distribution, by examination a, of enlisted men from the four camps 

 in comparison with that of officers. Distances along the abscissae are divided into rough units 

 (50 points in examination a), which correspond in the main to the letter grade groups. It may 

 be noted here that it was considered an important matter, in camp practice, to hold for the 

 most part to such rough groupings to counteract the tendency to ascribe importance to fine 



