Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-07-22
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THE TESTING OF cHAuFFEuRs.
An Apparatus for Determining
Chaufteur's Fitness on Psychology
ica Principles.

zeal Principles.
Much-and possibly too much--has
been made i'll recent years of the |
claims Of psychologists in regard to |
their ability to determine the truth or I
falsity of testimony given before them
by measuring the length OF time tax
Ell To answer various questions APP
piled To a criminal investigation. for
example, TIE cain Is that the cfimlnal
being asked any question relating to
the crime, would answer that question
by a delay CT minute fraction #
second more than he would answer
questions wholly irrelevant Und 1ubt-
eddy there is something in such tests,
but how much is another question
The Latest application. however, Of
this principle Of measuring the So
called reaction-time- that Is to say the
space of time required by the in liv-
idual to receive given impression
and perform the action suggested by
It's an apparatus invented by
Charles $. Kicker OF the department
of psychology at Harvard for deter
mining the fitness of candidates for
licenses as automobile ehauffeurs.
Instead Of taking the chauffeur 5
word in ans% er to a list of formal
and prescribed questioEs-answers TO
which may mean little or nothing
this new apparatus brings the candi-
date suddenly face TO face with unex-
peeted but imaginary emergencies and
determines his fitness by measuring
the time which he takes to meet the
situation with the various controls of
his ear. The apparatus consists of
device for signaling the emergency and
another for recording the reactions of I
the niotorisr dummy motor car Is |
provided with the regulation steering |
wheel, the side throttle that controls
the different speeds; the foot clutch
whose release throws the machinery |
OF the car Immediately out OF gear.
and the emergency brake. In place
of the ordinary wind shield the psy-
Geological motor car has an Opaque
screen with three openings and in
front of the screen are three electric |
bulbs invisible to the chauffeur except
when one or the other of them sud
denly glares at him through an aper-
ture These bulbs, white, green and
red, respectively, are so arranged that
they may be revolved in front of the
openings in the screen by means of an
electric push button under the finger
of the psychologists conducting the ex-
pertinent Outside the car. or in the
tonneau of real automobile ii the
tests Were being made ON the road, is
a cylinder or smoked paper which re-
wolves steadily aud is in contact with |
the end Of a tuning fork and almost
IN contact with four little metal
pointers respectively corrected by an
open electric circuit with the steering
wheel, clutch, throttle. and brake
Pressure on the push button that |
flashes one or another of the electric |
bulbs in front of the chauffeur sets
The cylinder or time clock in motion
and the tuning fork begins tracing a |
sharply scolloped line on the smoked
paper The tuning fork yibrates 100
times a second, SO that each of these
lamentations marks LOO of a second
on the smoked paper. The slightest
movement of the wheel. clutch, throt-
tie, or brake in response to the signal
flashed by the electric bulb, completes
an electric circuit and drops the cor
responding pointed on the revolving
drum where it begins tracing a line
on the smoked paper. And the rum
Der of vibrations Of the tuning fork
before wheel, clutch throttle. or
break is in operation shows the hun
dredths of a second that have elapsed |
between the sight of the signal and |
the response of the mechanism-inl
other words. the reaction of thar par
tieular chauffeur under that particu-
lar emergency.
However, the editors of the Seienti-
fic American, from which this descrip-
ton of the apparatus is taken, yert
aeutely observe in substance that the
time taken in interpreting such artiff
cial sets of signals as this apparatus
might provide and in acting upon
them would not necessarily throw
great light upon the ehauffeur's
promptness in acting upon perfectly
plain and unmistakahle situation in
real hfe-one whicn would call for lit
tie or no Interpretation, but yather
and solely for immediate action
Springfield Republican
The device referred to is an ingeni-
Gus application yet one should not lose
sight of the fact that variations in the
chaffeur's food, sleep rest and mental
emotions would show u corresponding
change in the results at other times
than " hen he took the examination
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN WIT.