University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1914-02-16

Do you know whether you have the
peculiar type of mental ability that is
demanded in the kind of work you have
made as your choice? Is your menta
ability high enough to warrant youl
taking up an intellectual pursuit OF
ought you to be in one of the arts
or the trades or some business?
Experiments are now being con
Quoted in the University psychological
laboratory to determine the mental
abilities of students in the psychology
course. Exact vocational advice has
not been attempted. but roughly. a
student who has been tested can tell
whether or not he has the ability for
line of work in which he knows
what type of mind is required. With
certain qualities brought out in the
examinations he knows that he can
do certain kinds of work if he has
the ambition
This if quality is one that only
life can bring out. 1t is one quality
that the psychological laboratory can
not bring out satisfactorily, at least
with present equipment. 1t is one
of the disturbing elements that keep
the mental efficiency tests of the lab
oratory from perfect correlation.
Yet, including the students of low
ability who attain to something
through more than average ambition
and application and those other stu
dents of more than average ability
who do not work as hard as they
might, the mental tests taken in the
local psychological laboratory by Pro-
fessor W II. Pyle show correlation
of SO per cent
That means that SO per cent of the
students showed mental ability of the
same rank that their class work gave
them. The figures prove that mental
ability can be tested in a laboratory
when it is considered that class work
does not represent the students rela-
tive ability in very many cases.
In younger students the correlation
is more nearly perfect but with uni
versity students habits of work have
been formed and they nearly offset
ability in most cases. says Professor
Pyle.
These tests are especially good in
the students of superior abil
ity and those of inferior ability. Those
of average ability are not brought out
so clearly. Those of medium ability
make various standings in class work.
The very good and the poor in class
work usually show a correlation be-
tween ability and class standing. The
tests of classes for several years back
prove these statements according to
Professor Pyle's records The f stu
dents usually have the highest ability
md the students the lowest, and the .
NJ students are scattered through all
Among a large number of students
Usually a few will be found who have .
both ability and ambition. These will .
De the leaders Following are the
'ecords of several students. with let
ers substituted for their names. A,
IN student. with the best record in
he class. made 3S4 points in the men-
al test. the highest of the class. The
lass average was 300 points. B made :
in class work and Us points. In
he ten kinds of tests given B was
lose to the average in only three. and
wo of these were rote memory. which
Ioes not count for much. c, an f
tudent, whose class work was second
nly to that of A. made 3S1 points. d.
N student, made 366 points. showing
hat he had ability but did not work.
: and F.. both l stuents, made 240
nd 23S points respectively. G, an NJ
tudent, made 300 points.
The students good in class work
made good marks in practically all
he mental tests. sometimes except
ng cancellation. imagination and
ote memory. In these the poor stu
ents often made good marks. but it is
ound that even among persons of alb
formally low ability. none of which
re included in these examinations.
many make good marks in these par
ocular qualities.
These mental tests are calculated to
est the all-round mental abilities of
tudents. They are carried on for the
AXE of research and not yet so much
or the sake of immediate results with
he students. The department hopes.
long with other psychologists of the
lay. to get data that will lead to tests
# more subtle qualities of the mind