May 7, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



449 



ance wave coils, both open at one end and 

 at both ends, for general radio work offers 

 an interesting field for investigation. This 

 involves the study of the electron tube as 

 a potentially operated device. The appli- 

 cation of such coils properly designed 

 for specific purposes may lead to the prac- 

 tical solution of a number of radio prob- 

 lems such as directional effects, and wave 

 coils antenna of very small dimensions. 



4. The account of the experiments thus 

 far conducted and the reasons which have 

 led to the undertaking of these experi- 

 ments on the part of the Signal Corps, are 

 presented to the National Academy of Sci- 

 ences at this time in conformity with the 

 new spirit of organization for national and 

 international research so admirably typi- 

 fied by the National K^search Council 

 which is under the general direction of 

 this official body. 



George 0. Squier 



Office op the Chief Signal Officer, 

 War Department, 

 Washington, D. C. 



RESUME OF RESEARCH IN THE 



PSYCHOLOGY OF AVIATION 



DURING THE YEAR 1919 



The writer has been in charge of the de- 

 partment of psychology of the Air Service 

 Medical Research Laboratory since January 

 15, 1919. Members of the department engaged 

 in research during that year included Drs. F. 

 C. Dockeray, D. C. Rogers, H. C. McComas 

 and J. E. Coover, as captains; Dr. English 

 Bagby and Mr. Schachne Isaacs, as lieuten- 

 ants; and Dr. F. G. Paschal, Miss Barbara V. 

 Deyo and Mrs. Cressie Campbell Merriman, as 

 assistants. Certain members of the group were 

 present for but a short time; and others were 

 present for several months. Dr. E. 'N. Hen- 

 derson and Mr. L. J. O'Eourke, as captain and 

 lieutenant, resepctively, were connected with 

 the department for some time, but the exigen- 

 cies of the service did not permit of their em- 



ployment in research. Since October last the 

 staff has consisted of Lieutenant Isaacs and 

 the writer, with Miss Deyo and Mrs. Merriman 

 as research assistants. 



During the year the department prosecuted 

 research along two distinct and independent 

 lines: (1) an effort to gain a somewhat more 

 intimate acquaintance with the effects of low 

 oxygen on the integrity of response; and (2) 

 an effort to develop more sensitive tests for the 

 detection of (a) general aptitude for aviation 

 work and (fe) of its deterioration in the earlier 

 stages of staleness. The reports of this work 

 will probably appear in due time in the various 

 American psychological journals, under the 

 names of the authors who are individually or 

 jointly responsible. Meanwhile, a resume of 

 the year's activities of the department as an 

 organization may not be out of place here. 



An extensive and detailed statistical study of 

 the records of over 6,000 classification-tests 

 for resistance to deprivation of oxygen, has 

 been made under the direction of Captain 

 Coover. He was assisted by Lieutenant 

 Isaacs, Dr. Paschal, Miss Deyo, Mrs. Merri- 

 man and the writer. The results indicate the 

 extent to which the subject's performance 

 may be affected by atmospheric pressure, tem- 

 perature and humidity; by the absolute quan- 

 tity of oxygen supplied the subject in the air 

 to be rebreathed; by the duration of the test; 

 by the time of day at which the test is taken; 

 by the judgmental eccentricities of the psy- 

 chological and clinical observers; and by a 

 lowered morale, such as that which imme- 

 diately followed the armistice. With these 

 data available it is now possible, by control- 

 ling or correcting for the influence of these 

 variables, to approximate much more closely 

 to uniformity and constancy of the standards 

 of classification than has been possible 

 hitherto. 



An attempt was made by the writer, in 

 collaboration with Dr. Paschal, to demon- 

 strate the progress of impairment of behavior 

 by the use of an objective record of the speed 

 and accru-acy which the subject can maintain 

 in carrying on work of uniform difficulty as 

 the supply of oxygen is being diminished. 



