3 i8 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 



I. Problems involving, and dependent upon, the distribution in the 

 community of sensory, motor, and intellectual capacities. 



II. Problems of temperament and character, involving the exploration 

 of the possibility of developing satisfactory tests for temperament and 

 character traits, and applying these tests under standard conditions. 



III. Problems involved in the study of the factors and influences deter- 

 mining failure on the part of individuals — children or adults — to adjust 

 themselves satisfactorily to the conditions of social life. 



IV. Complex and important problems in the border country lying between 

 psychology and sociology on the one hand, and psychology and anthropology 

 on the other, and in many cases involving economics in addition. 



In the investigation of the problems of Group I it will be necessary to 

 test representative samples of the population with sensory, motor, sensori- 

 motor, intelligence, and mechanical ability tests. The samples should be 

 taken from different social, economic, and geographical environments, and 

 should comprise, if possible, not only children, but the children's parents. 

 The results of such testing should be examined with the object of discovering : 



(a) The manner in which the qualities measured by the respective tests 

 are distributed throughout the population. 



(b) How far parents and children resemble one another. 



(c) To what extent any differences are traceable to known environmental 

 influences or to more remote hereditary influences. 



(d) To what extent different social or occupational groupings tend to 

 develop qualities known to be important for industrial proficiency. 



(e) What part the qualities measured by the tests play in industrial 

 proficiency in the various occupations taken up by the children, or 

 in which the parents are engaged. 



(/) How far present methods of selecting elementary school children for 

 technical or higher education are effective in selecting those best 

 qualified to benefit from such education. 



In the investigation of problems of Group II it will be necessary : 



(a) To study present methods of estimating personality — in particular 

 the interview — with the object of ascertaining the reliability of the 

 results obtained. 



(b) To develop tests for emotional, temperamental, and volitional 

 characteristics. 



(c) To determine the reliability of such tests. 



(d) To investigate the part played by emotional and temperamental 

 characteristics in adjustment to the conditions of occupational life. 



In the investigation of problems of Group III it is desirable to study : 



(a) To what extent maladjustment in children or adults is due mainly to 

 psychological characteristics or to environmental causes. 



(b) How far such maladjustment can be rectified or its effects diminished 

 by change of environment or other possible action. 



Moreover, ' maladjustment ' ought to be understood widely, and its 

 study ought to include the study not only of temporary maladjustment 

 resulting from sudden changes, as from school to work, from work to retire- 

 ment, and the like, but also of the maladjustment frequently found in the 

 case of the adopted child, the illegitimate child, and the step-child, and of 

 the still wider maladjustment resulting from institutional education, or 

 from environmental or other conditions affecting adult social groups. 



