no. s.] PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINING IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY. 



791 



years mental age for rejection would mean the elimination of from one-half to 2 per cent of white 

 recruits and approximately 17 per cent of negro recruits. Placing the level at nine years would 

 eliminate 4 or 5 per cent of whites and presumably 32 per cent of negroes. A 10-year limit 

 rejects from 10 to 13 per cent of white and 48 per cent of negro recruits. It would be totally 

 impossible to exclude all morons as that term is at present denned, for there are under 13 years 

 47 per cent of whites and 89 per cent of negroes. 



Several studies of the groups of men who were individually examined or who were recom- 

 mended for discharge throw light on the social value of men unable to pass the group exami- 

 nations. Summaries of two such studies follow in sections 2 and 3. 



Section 2. — Characteristics of men recalled for individual examination. 



Men who are recalled for individual examination in camp are those who have failed to pass 

 a group examination. They may fail because of defective intelligence or because of some social 

 maladjustment that renders them unable or unwilling to cooperate in the group examination. 

 Although no stricter definition can be laid down, they do in general constitute a "low-grade" 

 group, a large proportion of which requires special treatment or assignment in the military 

 machine. A qualitative study of such a group is therefore of interest. 



For this purpose there, are available records of a group of men, both white and colored, who 

 were examined at Camp Sheridan, Ala., between May and December, 1918. These records 

 are unusually complete. Almost 4 per cent of the total number examined at this camp were 

 given the individual test. The corresponding percentage in the whole Army is about 5 per cent. 

 Of 2,181 men examined, such vital facts as disease history and education were recorded for 1,216. 



This group is separated into the whites and the negroes. It is further divided according 

 to the disposition recommended by the psychologist, on the basis of the result of individual 

 examination, as follows: Regular service, development battalion, domestic service, discharge, 

 and "attention of psychiatrist." Because of the few cases, 15 in all, of white men referred to 

 the psychiatrist, this group will drop out of discussion. Recommendation was usually based 

 entirely on mental age determined. 



In table 334 are shown the numbers included in each group. From this table it will be 

 observed that almost half (45 per cent of whites, 44.6 per cent of negroes) were recommended 

 for regular service. 



The percentage distributions of mental ages in this group are given in table 335 and in 

 figure 53. 



The median mental age of the negro group is about one year less than the median for the 

 white group — 8.6 and 9.6 years. The medians for the total group individually examined at 

 Camp Sheridan are 8.3 years for the negroes and 9.7 for the whites. This very slight difference 

 shows that the smaller group which is being studied is representative of the total number. It is 

 of interest to note that of men examined individually 82.9 per cent of the whites and 90.4 per 

 cent of the negroes have a mental age of 10 years or under. 



Table 334. — Numbers of various recommendations made by psychologist to psychiatrist of men examined individually at 



Camp Sheridan. 



Re commendation. 



White. 



Number. Percent 



Negro. 



Number. Per cent 



Regular service 



Development battalion 



Domestic service 



Discharge 



Attention of psychiatrist . . . 



Total number of cases 



315 

 127 

 169 

 74 

 15 



45.0 

 18.1 

 24.1 

 10.6 

 2.1 



230 

 28 

 50 

 37 



171 



516 



44.6 

 5.4 

 9.7 

 7.2 



33.2 



